NDP: Greenbelt lobbyist Mr. X in hot water with 2-year lobbying ban

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition has released the following statement in response to the Integrity Commissioner’s 2-year lobbying ban on John Mutton a.k.a. Mr. X, as well as the naming of Matt Johnston, both prominent characters in Premier Ford’s Greenbelt carve-up:

“These are the kind of people that this government is in business with – a lobbyist who has broken the law not once, not twice, but repeatedly for almost a decade. This is ridiculous, and we know that it is far from over.

“Mutton is no stranger to this government’s scandals. He received hundreds of thousands of dollars to open up Greenbelt lands, win over MZOs, all while putting public office holders in conflicts of interests with fundraisers, Toronto Raptors tickets, and more.

We need to know who these public officials are.

“Our province is facing a lot of uncertainty right now – people are worried about their future, their livelihoods. People need a government they can trust to put their best interests first.

“The Premier needs to clean up the culture of cash-for-access and preferential treatment that continues to plague his government so we can get to work strengthening Ontario.”

Background:

• Mr. Mutton organized a political fundraiser raising more than $25,000 for a public office holder’s riding association, brought in $5,000 to a fundraiser that benefited a public office holder, and offered public office holders Raptors tickets. Mutton’s unregistered lobbying reaches as far back as 2016, when he lobbied the Ontario Liberal government.
• The Integrity Commissioner has also published non-compliances against Matthew Johnston and Michael Froderick.
• Mr. Johnston’s advocacy on behalf of several Greenbelt developers was mentioned throughout the Integrity Commissioner’s report on Steve Clark and the changes to the Greenbelt.
• According to the Integrity Commissioner, Greenbelt developer Sergio Manchia bought tickets to the Premier’s daughter’s stag and doe from Tony Miele, the head of the PC Party’s fundraising arm, and gave them to Mr. Johnston.
• The Ontario NDP has written to the Integrity Commissioner to release information about the public office holders implicated in Nico Fidani-Diker's lobbying activities, and continues to call for transparency about public office holders who are in conflict of interest from Mutton’s lobbying activities
• Over the past two years, the Official Opposition team has unearthed evidence after evidence about the $8 billion Greenbelt scheme and questionable MZOs designed to enrich lobbyists and insiders on the public dime.
• Doug Ford’s Conservative government is currently under RCMP criminal investigation for the Greenbelt carve-up