Bonnie Crombie denies Doug Ford’s claim that she is ‘endorsing our Greenbelt plan’
In the wake of Bonnie Crombie's splashy entrance to the Liberal leadership race, Premier Doug Ford is crowing about the Mississauga mayor endorsing our Greenbelt plan."
Pouncing on remarks by Crombie, Ford on Thursday claimed she backs his controversial land swap that allows development on 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt in exchange for adding 9,400 acres elsewhere.
Well, there's one thing I'll agree with her - she endorsed our Greenbelt plan about swapping properties, so that's good that she's endorsing our Greenbelt plan to build more homes," the premier said in Whitby.
Crombie insisted her stance differs from Ford, who acted unilaterally last November after flip-flopping on permitting land swaps.
I pledged to protect the Greenbelt, it is sacred to me," the mayor said, clarifying comments she made to the Globe and Mail about leaving the door open to some development.
However, I said there could be an occasion where local communities and local municipalities came to us and said - with consultation - there could be whitebelt' land trapped in the Greenbelt that they would ask for that to be exchanged for other Greenbelt land," she said.
But my commitment is firm to protect the Greenbelt. It's different (from the Progressive Conservatives) because with the stroke of a pen they removed acres and acres of Greenbelt land ... without consultation."
Crombie's comments came at her slick Wednesday campaign launch attended by some 500 supporters at the Metalworks Institute in Mississauga.
With an Abacus poll for the Star suggesting she is the clear front-runner in the Dec. 2 Liberal leadership contest - and mindful Ford is wary of her candidacy because she could appeal to his voting coalition - her rivals piled on.
Liberals created the Greenbelt. As leader, I will work to protect it. If you want the Greenbelt protected, join me," said Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York) on social media.
Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre) called Ford's decision to permit development on the Greenbelt a lazy solution" to tackle Ontario's housing crisis.
Liberal MPP Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands) said on social media: I believe that if you don't stand firm, your promise to preserve the Greenbelt for all future generations is not credible."
Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie