“It seems very likely that before any authorized public disclosure of the province's plans to remove these specific lands from the Greenbelt, some government official, government MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) or employee leaked that information privately,” they said in a joint news release.
They said a breach of public trust warrants an OPP investigation.
“Removal of thousands of acres of legally protected farmland, forests and wetlands from the Greenbelt threatens us all,” said Tim Gray, executive director for Environmental Defence.
“A government doing so in a manner shrouded in secrecy that appears to benefit a select group of property owners, including recent purchasers, needs to be thoroughly investigated by the OPP,” he said.
"The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that it damages our democracy if a situation even appears to raise questions about the integrity of a government policy-making process, and that law enforcement must be strict and strong to prevent this damage, so given the Greenbelt policy change smells badly, the OPP must investigate," said Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch.
The five indigenous communities involved are the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
