Ford plays defence on Greenbelt, coy on health deal

Also: McGarry for OLP prez, ROMA kicks off with drama, committees rev up, Surma does Tokyo

ABOVE THE FOLD

Lots of #onpoli action over the weekend. Here’s the latest:

FORD SPEAKS — On the Greenbelt: Staring down back-to-back investigations over his hot-potato move to carve up the Greenbelt, Premier DOUG FORD is playing defence, saying he’s “confident” developers weren’t tipped off that the previously protected lands were about to become very lucrative.

Ford weighed in publicly for the first time since the Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner announced their tandem investigations, at the behest of Oppo critics who claim the move is fishy — not least because certain developers have been buying up Greenbelt land since the Ford government was first elected in 2018.

“I’m confident no one gave anyone a heads-up,” Ford told reporters at an unrelated announcement in London (more on that below). “It’s not government land — it’s private individuals’ land. They have the right to sell to anyone they want.”

Housing Minister STEVE CLARK, who’s at the centre of the investigations, has…