Canada

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles tells reporters she'd call a public inquiry into the Greenbelt scandal if she were premier.

Ontario Opposition Leader Marit Stiles suggested on Monday that she would call a public inquiry into the Ford government’s handling of several files if elected premier and that Doug Ford could end up in “prison.”

“When I’m premier, I’m going to call a public inquiry into all of this, and we’re going to get our hands on all of that. And you know what? Maybe you won’t get another mandate, because you’ll be in prison, Doug,” Stiles told reporters during a scrum at Queen’s Park Monday.

She made the comment while discussing the lack of public access to documents around the cancelled purchase of a private jet, as well as the Greenbelt.

“I don’t expect we’ll ever get answers. I know he doesn’t want to provide answers about the luxury jet and how much it really cost, and what happened there, and he also doesn’t want to hear how I was asking the questions about the Greenbelt,” Stiles told reporters.

“And he was willing to pass laws to make it impossible for journalists or the public, or ourselves in the opposition, to find out why decisions are made, or who’s influencing his decisions.”

Legislation recently passed by the Ford government halted public access to hundreds of documents that were set to be released through Freedom of Information Requests (FOIs).

The government rushed through the legislation and made it retroactive, preventing any previously submitted requests from being fulfilled, and also relieving the government from having to comply with a court order to release the premier’s phone records.

Ford has not been charged with any crimes and has previously apologized for a decision to open up a portion of the Greenbelt for development, calling it a “mistake.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are investigating the Ontario government’s decision around the Greenbelt, but they have not said who exactly that investigation touches.

Earlier in the day, Ford confirmed the government has handed over to the RCMP whatever records have been requested from them concerning the Greenbelt.

“To every agency that’s ever asked, it’s all been transparent, we’ve given them everything they need,” Ford said. “But again, I’m focusing on the economy. That’s what I’m focused on. That’s what matters, not something that happened years ago.”

Asked if she thought her comments were appropriate given how the suggestion of imprisonment for political rivals has been used in heated political discussions south of the border, particularly when Donald Trump infamously called for Hillary Clinton to be locked up, Stiles reiterated her belief that the premier has been involved in “dirty deals” in the past.

“I feel like I’ve said before, that I think this premier is corrupt. I think he’s made some dirty deals. I think it’s pretty clear,” she said.

Stiles also said that she believed a “a lot of terrible stuff would come out” if a public inquiry into the Greenbelt were called.

“I think if we call a public inquiry, which is what it took to get to the bottom of some of the questions around other governments, I think a lot of terrible stuff is going to come out,” Stiles said.

“Why is the premier hiding all this information from the people of Ontario? Why doesn’t he want anybody to know what is on his phone. Because there are dirty dealings around the greenbelt, the RCMP is investigating and at the end of this there might very well be charges laid. Absolutely. Other governments have had people end up behind bars for less than this.”

The premier‘s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Stiles’ remarks.