The Integrity Commissioner’s report on former Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Steve Clark, recommends he is reprimanded by the Legislative Assembly for his role in the Greenbelt scandal. 

As we all know, Clark looked the other way while his Chief of Staff, Ryan Amato, moved lands out of the protected Greenbelt, enriching favoured developers. 

The Integrity Commissioner tells us the Legislative Assembly is required 

"to consider and respond to this report including my recommendation within 30 days after the day the report is laid before it”.

Paul Calandra is the Government House Leader in the Assembly as well as being Clark’s successor as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As House Leader he manages the Government’s business, steering legislation through the Provincial Parliament.

Reprimand

The Government’s notice of motion recommending the Assembly accepts the Integrity Commissioner’s recommendation to reprimand Clark was filed on 25 September 2023 and appeared on the Order and Notices Paper on 26 September 2023.

The Government has thirty days to bring forward the Integrity Commissioner’s recommendation. I assume we are talking about 30 calendar days and not 30 sitting days which would take us to 4 December or thereabouts. The motion to reprimand Clark is debateable. 

Parliamentary procedure is rarely straightfoward. So I checked with the Table Office at Queen’s Park who confirm it’s calendar days which means the motion should come up tomorrow or Thursday. 

Embarrassment

My fear is that the Government will wait until the last moment and try to sneak the motion through without debate, sparing themselves further embarrassment.

Clark will be reprimanded but the Government hopes it will be done sotto voce.

But what is needed is a forensic debate with members drawing on the Integrity Commissioner’s findings which are damning.

We also need to hear from the disgraced ex-minister, Steve Clark.

The RCMP will be watching.

And, for them, silence won’t wash.

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Update on 25 October 2023: Toronto Star editorial: Another day another policy climbdown for Doug Ford's Government

Update on 5 November 2023: Doug Ford confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday 31 October 2023 that Steve Clark will not be reprimanded. The Government motion will lie on the table, undebated, appearing on the Order Paper until the end of the Session.