The lobbying loopholes that kept Greenbelt meetings off the books

Plus, Steve Clark isn't stepping down and two Ontario jurists were reprimanded [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the integrity commissioner’s Greenbelt report, lobbying exemptions used by developers, and jurists’ “troubling” statements in open court. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Spencer Colby the greenbelt [Steve Clark is “sorry” about the Greenbelt deals, but is vowing to stay on as housing minister]( Despite the integrity commissioner’s finding that housing minister Steve Clark violated the Integrity Act by having his “head in the sand” about deals that removed land from Greenbelt protection for developers, he is refusing to step down. At a press conference Thursday, he apologized to Ontarians but offered few explanations, evaded questions and made an abrupt exit after 15 minutes, Rob Ferguson and Kristin Rushowy report. [Take a closer look at the damning report and what comes next for the Tories](. - Context: The findings of the month-long ethics investigation come after a searing auditor general report revealed on Aug. 9 that [the land-selection process “favoured certain developers” who stand to make an $8.28 billion profit]( bypassing input from civil servants. - More: [Ryan Amato, Clark’s former chief of staff who resigned on Aug. 22]( personally selected 14 of the 15 plots of land to remove from Greenbelt protection to build 50,000 homes. Both Clark and Doug Ford have claimed ignorance about the extent of his actions. - The bigger picture: [Here’s everything we know so far about Ford’s Greenbelt plans](. Steve Russell/The Star The GReenbelt [How lobbying “loopholes” allowed developers’ Greenbelt meetings to be kept off books]( Recent reports have shed light on the lobbying efforts that went into thousands of acres being removed from the Greenbelt — but they’re not recorded anywhere in Ontario’s lobbyist registry, Brendan Kennedy reports. Critics call the exception a “loophole.” Although outside consultants hired to lobby must register all of their hours, those employed directly by a company to lobby on their behalf don’t have to — unless they exceed 50 hours per year. [Here’s how the loophole played a key role in the province removing thousands of acres of land from Greenbelt protection](. - More: The exemptions have been widely criticised, including by Ontario’s integrity commissioner, J. David Wake. He has repeatedly recommended reducing the 50-hour threshold. - Another angle: Duff Conacher, founder of government watchdog group Democracy Watch, says there should be no exemptions to registering lobby efforts — calling it “a recipe for corruption, waste and abuse.” His organization is highly critical of Wake for taking what they believe is a lax and secretive approach to policing lobbyists. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star courts [An Ontario judge who made “racist, xenophobic” comments has been reprimanded — but his identity is a secret]( An Ontario judge made comments about immigrants that could be seen as “racist” and “xenophobic” when sentencing a young, racialized offender diagnosed with PTSD. A justice of the peace said Indigenous people have a “privilege” or “benefit” in the criminal justice system. Remedial action has been taken in both cases, but the names of the jurists are being kept secret, Jacques Gallant reports. [Here’s what we know about the secrecy and the “troubling” statements](. - Go deeper: Experts say the law shielding their names needs to change. “Keeping their identities secret undermines the transparency of the judicial complaints process and makes it more challenging to ensure that the offending conduct isn’t repeated,” said Daniel Brown, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. - More: Failure to release the names “makes a mockery of the principle of open justice,” said University of Ottawa law professor Adam Dodek, noting that the cases involve conduct that happened in open court. WHAT ELSE [Here’s why Canada's estimate of temporary residents could be off]( — by 1 million. The Metro strike is over. [Take a look inside the deal that ended the month-long walkout](. One province wants to pick immigrants based on their nation.[Is that fair, or a “slippery slope”?]( Two ex-Proud Boys leaders have been [handed some of the longest sentences in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack](. [Low-income families should receive another housing benefit]( Jagmeet Singh says. TTC service changes will begin soon. [Here’s what riders need to know](. Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has lost his prison phone privileges [after being recorded on a call for a documentary](. Union Station’s ugly concrete barriers were meant to be replaced in 2019. [Why are they still there?]( [A busy Toronto intersection is getting a Dutch-inspired makeover]( that will improve road safety. Is your teen too young to get a job? [One mom’s viral video calling it “insane” has sparked debate](. From age-old terrors to high school queer angst, [take a closer look at five Canadian titles playing at TIFF](. Just in time for back to school, [Toronto is finally getting hot summer weather](. POV Jerome Delay/AP File Photo [Drought, famine and war are all expected effects of climate change — we’re already seeing them.]( CLOSE-UP Sean Rayford/Getty Images FLORIDA: People work to clear the I-10 freeway of fallen trees after Hurricane Idalia crossed the state on Thursday near Madison. The storm made landfall at Keaton Beach, Florida as a category 3 hurricane.  Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_197393). Andrew will see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](