Speaker, through you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: I’ve asked the minister numerous times whether the government tipped off developers about plans to open the greenbelt for development. The minister has had multiple different answers to our questions. First, the answer was that the government talks to anyone who builds homes. Yesterday, the minister said “no,” without any further elaboration. Every day, it seems we get a new answer from the minister.

So, today, I’ll ask again: Did the minister or any other government or PC Party official share with any landowner, developer or lobbyist information about the government’s plan for developing the greenbelt before it became public on November 4?

Despite a one-year cooling-off period required of former government officials who become lobbyists, Mr. Bucci seems to be lobbying the government on development issues. He recently spoke at the heritage committee in support of Bill 23, where he interacted with the minister’s parliamentary assistant. He appeared, this morning, to speak in favour of Bill 39. The cooling-off period exists to prevent lobbyists from putting their former employers in a real or potential conflict of interest.

Why is the minister allowing his office to be lobbied by his former chief of staff?