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Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark resigns in wake of Greenbelt controversy

TORONTO — Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark has resigned from his cabinet role. He announced the decision in a letter to Premier Doug Ford shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
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Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark delivers remarks at Queen's Park in Toronto on August 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

TORONTO — Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark has resigned from his cabinet role.

He announced the decision in a letter to Premier Doug Ford shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The move comes days after a scathing report from the province's integrity commissioner, who found Clark violated ethics rules for the way the government removed land earmarked for development from the protected Greenbelt.

On Thursday, Clark said he would stay on in his job -- despite repeated calls by critics for his resignation.

But in his resignation letter, he says the housing crisis demands someone who is not a distraction from the important work that needs to be done and that he needs to take accountability for what has transpired.

Clark says he intends to stay on as MPP for the eastern Ontario riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press