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Ontario government House Leader Paul Calandra accused NDP Leader Marit Stiles of sending a photographer to the wedding of Premier Doug Ford‘s daughter during an eyebrow-raising exchange at Queen’s Park — an allegation that the NDP says is false.
Stiles said the suggestion was a sign of “desperation” from a government feeling the heat over the ongoing scandal over the Greenbelt deal and the premier’s relationship with developers.
During question period, Stiles pressed the government on the Greenbelt land swap that saw 7,400 acres of protected land removed in December 2022, paving the way for 50,000 homes to be built by the developers who own the parcels of land. In exchange, the government said, 9,400 acres would be added to the Greenbelt to offset the removals.
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“Instead of protecting it, this government has opened the floodgates for their well-connected personal friends,” Stiles charged. “In fact, nine of the developers who benefit from the Greenbelt land swap are top PC party donors and some even attended the premier’s family festivities.”
Stiles was referring to the stag and doe party held at the premier’s residence on Aug. 11, 2022, which included members of the development community as guests and raised money for the premier’s daughter ahead of her wedding in September. According to the seating chart for the wedding, developers and lobbyists were also in attendance at the wedding.
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“Did the premier, his ministers or his staff tell developers about their intention to open up the Greenbelt before the public announcement?” Stiles asked.
Calandra, in defence of Ford, fired off accusations at the NDP — which the NDP firmly say are untrue.
“This is a leader of the opposition who sunk to the level of sending a photographer to take a picture of the seating plan at the premier’s daughter’s wedding,” Calandra said.
Calandra was referring to a sworn affidavit sent by Stiles to Ontario’s integrity commissioner requesting an official investigation into the premier’s relationship with developers and whether the family fundraiser — which involved an entry fee of $150 — violated any ethics rules.
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The affidavit, which included a photograph of the seating chart during the wedding reception, was tabled at the Ontario legislature, making the guest list a public document.
The image of the seating chart, however, is identical to a publicly available picture listed on the website of a wedding photographer. The photographer’s website also includes pictures of Ford seated with other invited guests to the wedding.
A side-by-side comparison of an image included in the NDP affidavit to Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner and a publicly available photograph of the wedding seating chart obtained by Global News.
Supplied Image / Global News
“That’s available on the wedding website,” Stiles said, while also denying the allegation that the NDP sent a photographer to the premier’s daughter’s wedding. “No, it’s not true.
“I just think it speaks to the absolute desperation of this government and the lows that they will stoop to just to avoid answering the most basic questions.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.