Steve Clark resigned from the position of Ontario’s Housing Minister

In a letter posted to social media, Clark says the housing crisis “demands someone who is not a distraction from the important work that needs to be done.”

“Although my initial thought was that I could stay in this role and establish a proper process so that these mistakes don’t happen again, I realize that my presence will only cause a further distraction from the important work that needs to be done ad that I need to take accountability for what has transpired,” he wrote in the letter.

His resignation comes amid two damning Greenbelt reports that outlined a deeply flawed process that favoured certain developers and lacked transparency.

It also comes as Ontario’s integrity commissioner recommended Clark be reprimanded for “failing to oversee the process by which lands in the Greenbelt were selected to development.” He was found to have breached sections 2 and 3(2) of the Member’s Integrity Act, which pertain to conflicts of interest and the use of insider information.

The recommendation was made as part of a 166-page report that found the lack of leadership led to “the private interests of certain developers being furthered improperly.”

According Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake, Clark misinterpreted a mandate letter regarding removal of land from the Greenbelt resulting in a rushed timeline, made the decision to withdraw from supervision over the decision-making process, and took the proposal to cabinet without properly questioning his staff’s choices.

“It may seem incredible that Minister Clark would have chosen to stick his head in the sand on such an important initiative being undertaken by his ministry but I believe that was exactly what he did,” Wake wrote in the report released last week.

He remains an elected representative for his riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

This is a breaking news story. More to come.

 

This article was reported by CTV News