Ontario NDP mark 1,000 days since RCMP probe began into Greenbelt scandal

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It’s not the type of milestone the Ford government will be observing, but NDP Leader Marit Stiles continued her push on Wednesday for more transparency into the RCMP investigation into the 2022 Greenbelt scandal.Stiles brought an actual cake to Queen’s Park to mark 1,000 days since the RCMP launched its probe. While she says she would like to know more details about where the investigation stands, the fact that it has taken almost three years indicates there might be more to it than originally thought“I don’t think anybody out there believes that this government, this premier, has learned his lesson,” said Stiles. “The only thing he appears to have learned is how to be more sneaky, how to change the laws to cover his tracks, and I don’t think he’s learned a single thing, and I don’t think Ontarians trust him for a second.”Stiles also pointed to the recent changes made to the province’s Freedom of Information laws, which she says will make it harder for the public and the media to get information“I have no doubt that this premier and his government are corrupt. I will say it again, I think they are continuing to make backroom deals,” said Stiles.The RCMP began its criminal investigation in October of 2023 after the government announced it would remove land from the protected Greenbelt as part of its push to build more homes. But after weeks of public pressure and the resignation of two ministers, Ford apologized and backtracked on the plan. The province’s Auditor General later found that the boundary changes to the Greenbelt favoured developers with ties to the housing minister’s chief of staff.The RCMP has yet to comment, saying only that the integrity of the investigation can’t be compromised. In May, Ford acknowledged that his office turned over records related to the land swap to the RCMP. Stiles says she has full confidence in the RCMP to conduct this investigation, and no matter how long it takes, Ontarians deserve the truth.