Ford defends sweeping housing changes, giving more power to mayors

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford, facing criticism over moves to grant mayors extra powers, slash fees for developers and allow housing in protected areas, lashed out at “whining and complaining” from his critics on Wednesday, singling out Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

The Premier was at a bus garage in Brampton, Ont., west of Toronto, to mark the allocation of $505-million in previously agreed federal and provincial COVID-19 restart funding for transit agencies across the province.

But he spent only one minute on that subject before shifting in his prepared remarks to a defence of his fast-tracked, sweeping housing changes. The moves, which include opening parts of the protected Greenbelt to developers, have faced opposition from environmentalists and municipal leaders. First Nations leaders also say they were not consulted. The government says the changes are needed to meet its goal of getting 1.5 million new homes built over the next decade.

Unprompted, Mr. Ford singled out Ms. Crombie for her public criticism of changes passed last week that force municipalities to slash the “development charges” they levy on rental and affordable housing projects – a move she and other municipal leaders warn will blow holes in budgets for transit, roads and water infrastructure and prompt steep property-tax hikes.

“I see that Mayor Crombie is out there handing out flyers. ... All I say is, get on board, stop being disingenuous with the people of Mississauga,” said Mr. Ford, who praised his host, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, for his commitment to housing.

Mr. Ford’s remarks about Ms. Crombie appeared planned, as he cited a list of figures: Mr. Ford said Mississauga had increased its development charges and fees by 30 per cent in the past two years and that the fees add $126,000 to the price of a home. He also said the municipality was keeping $271-million of fees in reserves, while already waiving them to encourage office construction in its downtown.

To meet the province’s housing goals and accommodate 300,000 newcomers a year, he said, Mississauga needs to build 120,000 homes over the next decade, or 12,000 a year. It currently averages about 2,100, the Premier said.

“You think when people come here, we’re going to start living in mud huts? It’s not going to happen under our government. We want to work collaboratively, co-operatively with you,” Mr. Ford said. “But we need to get on board and start moving forward and stop the whining and complaining that I hear day in and day out.”

Ms. Crombie responded with an e-mailed statement, saying the province should have consulted municipalities before its changes. She also disputed some of Mr. Ford’s numbers: The $126,000 in fees, she said, includes charges for the city, Peel Region and the province itself for GO Transit infrastructure and new schools. The city’s reserve funds, she said, are needed to fund long-term projects. And Mississauga has approved more than 6,300 units in 2022, which Ms. Crombie said was a record year.

“I’m not whining, I’m simply doing my job as Mayor to stand up for our residents and taxpayers,” Mr. Crombie said, warning that the legislation could force annual property-tax hikes of up to 10 per cent a year for the next decade.

Mr. Ford was also asked about his Bill 39, set to pass this week, which would give the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa, and other mayors in the future, the power to approve bylaws related to “provincial priorities” with just a third of their councils’ support.

Toronto Mayor John Tory requested the additional powers, which come on top of strong-mayor powers announced in the fall. Many local politicians, and all of Toronto’s living former mayors, have called the changes anti-democratic. Fifteen of Toronto’s 25 councillors sent the Premier an open letter this week saying the city should be governed by “majority rule.”

But the Premier balked at the suggestion he was trampling on democracy.

“Mayor Tory got more votes than all the councillors combined. And so, having a councillor that scrapes in with 3,000 votes, and has the same voting power as the mayor, that’s trampling on democracy,” said Mr. Ford, who served on Toronto’s council when his brother Rob was mayor.

Mr. Ford also told reporters he did not support raising interest rates to calm inflation, when asked about the Bank of Canada’s latest move on Wednesday to raise its benchmark interest rate.

“Just increasing interest rates constantly, I just, personally, I don’t believe in it,” Mr. Ford said. “But that’s up to the Bank of Canada to do what they have to do. I believe in keeping interest rates low, in keeping taxes low, putting more money into people’s pockets.”

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said such policies would only increase inflation.