Ontario’s Greenbelt controversy has moved from policy scandal to rhetorical warfare after Opposition Leader Marit Stiles suggested Premier Doug Ford could end up “in prison” if a public inquiry exposed “dirty deals.”
The Ontario PC caucus attacked Stiles during Question Period on Tuesday, after she made the remark one day earlier while pledging that an NDP government would call a public inquiry into the Greenbelt.
The RCMP is currently investigating the Ford government’s decision to open protected Greenbelt land to developers, though no charges have been laid and it remains unclear who the investigation touches.
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Government House Leader Steve Clark accused Stiles of importing American-style political language into Queen’s Park.
“Speaker, yesterday we saw the Leader of the Opposition invoke dangerous American-style, Trumpian rhetoric that quite frankly has no place in this legislature,” Clark said after Stiles asked a question about OSAP.
Clark said the comment “lowers the tone in this house” and “has no place in this legislature, our province or our country.” Energy Minister Stephen Lecce added “shameful” as Clark spoke.
Clark then pivoted to Ford’s economic agenda, saying the premier is focused on the economy and the “generational threat that we have with the Americans, on the tariffs.”
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Stiles fired back by saying Clark’s criticism was “pretty rich, coming from a government that is under RCMP criminal investigation.”
The dispute began Monday, when Stiles said a public inquiry into the Greenbelt could expose “dirty deals” and result in Ford ending up “in prison.” Asked by reporters whether the comment was appropriate given its similarity to President Donald Trump’s “lock her up” attacks against Hillary Clinton, Stiles did not retreat. She reiterated that she believes the Ford government is “corrupt”.
The PCs framed the comment as a breach of legislative norms, but the attack was complicated by Ford’s own past language. In 2018, Ford suggested then-premier Kathleen Wynne and other Liberals might be in jail if they had behaved in the private sector the way they had in government.
That older PC press release was reportedly still viewable online Monday night, then redirected to the PC Party’s homepage by Tuesday morning. At the time, Wynne responded by calling Ford a “bully” and also compared him to Trump.
Information for this briefing was found via CP24 and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
