A newly surfaced internal email is prompting the Ontario New Democratic Party to call for another review of the Doug Ford government’s decision to open the Green Belt to development.
The email, obtained by the NDP through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows that the prime minister’s then-principal secretary received a list of criteria for removing land from the protected area on Oct. 17; information that the opposition claims contradicts testimony previously provided to Integrity. Commissioner J. David Wake.
The email, from Ryan Amato, then chief of staff to Housing Minister Steve Clark, has the subject “Special Project – GB” and was sent to the personal email address of Patrick Sackville, principal secretary to the prime minister. Sackville is now Ford’s chief of staff.
The email doesn’t include much text. Instead, it simply lists the criteria for land removal, including location, infrastructure services and potential compensation.
It is not clear from the documents whether Sackville read, forwarded or acted upon it.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for the premier’s office said Sackville did not respond to Amato’s email.
The prime minister’s office also said the email “reflects what was reported at the time.”
In late August, Wake published a report that found Clark violated the Membership Integrity Act by carving up the Green Belt for development, leading to “the private interests of certain developers being inappropriately promoted.”
The 166-page report described a “chaotic and almost reckless process” lacking leadership and oversight. He also suggested that political staff received emails from lobbyists and other outside parties on personal email accounts, and that government emails were often forwarded back and forth.
A similar auditor general report suggested the decision-making process lacked transparency and did not consider environmental, agricultural and financial impacts.
Amato, who was widely named as the decision-maker who chose the 15 sites to be removed from the Green Belt, resigned from his position shortly after the auditor general’s report was withdrawn. Clark also resigned from his cabinet position following both reports.
The integrity commissioner previously found that Amato had begun informing the prime minister’s office about the Green Belt land removal on October 17. However, Sackville Testimony He indicated that he “did not discuss the specific properties that would be removed or the removal criteria with Mr. Amato until the briefing that took place on October 27, 2022.”
On that basis, and on the basis that these emails were obtained from a personal account, the NDP says they were asked to request another review.
The NDP says the integrity commissioner has acknowledged their letter and will need time to review the evidence “not only from Mr. Sackville, but from other witnesses to determine if there was an inconsistency in the evidence.”
If they determine that there is an inconsistency, the integrity commissioner will issue an official opinion on the matter.
The integrity commissioner’s office clarified that while they cannot conduct a thorough investigation into this matter as it does not relate to the Member Integrity Act, they will review the document against the office’s records.
“Commissioner Wake has informed Ms. Stiles that he will review the document with the Bureau’s records and respond directly to her,” said spokeswoman Michelle Renaud.
Land taken from the Green Belt has since been returned following a bill introduced by the Progressive Conservatives in October 2023, almost a year after it was first reported to the prime minister’s office.
At the time, Ford apologized for removing the Green Belt land and pledged not to make any changes in the future.
The bill reversing the Green Belt changes, which received royal assent in December, also includes liability protections for those who acted “in good faith.” It is unclear who falls under these new protections.