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Decentralized Democracy

Kristyn Wong-Tam

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • Toronto Centre
  • New Democratic Party of Ontario
  • Ontario
  • Unit 401 120 Carlton St. Toronto, ON M5A 4K2 KWong-Tam-CO@ndp.on.ca
  • tel: 416-972-7683
  • fax: t 401 120 Ca
  • KWong-Tam-QP@ndp.on.ca

  • Government Page
  • May/13/24 11:30:00 a.m.

My question is to the Premier. Amir Remtulla, who was the chief of staff to the late Mayor Ford, is also a registered lobbyist for the Therme Group. Ontarians and accountability watchdogs widely suspect that this government’s Ontario Place plot is just another insider deal. Amir Remtulla has been an insider for so long that he appears on the registry of the Premier’s family furniture. And don’t forget that he also lobbied this government for the De Gasperis greenbelt grab.

So on behalf of everyone wondering—yes or no, simple answer—did lobbying by Amir Remtulla help convince the Premier to subsidize the destruction of Ontario Place with hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money?

But as a former Toronto city councillor, I want to ask the Premier a question which I know he knows the answer to. When I look at Therme’s Ontario Place plan, I cannot get over that the business model is flawed—something we’ve seen before. It reminds me of another bad plan about reckless development on the waterfront.

When Amir Remtulla worked for then-Mayor Ford, there was a nonsensical plan to build a downtown casino at Ontario Place. Building a downtown mega casino was championed by the mayor and his brother—now the Premier.

Once Ontario Place is rezoned for commercial and entertainment uses, there is little that anyone can do to stop them from flipping the land lease for another use, perhaps a casino operator.

What does this government really hope to see happen at Ontario Place when Therme’s spa deal falls apart?

267 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
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