Former Ford aide broke lobbying rules for Greenbelt: integrity commissioner

Allison Jones · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 11:47 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

A lobbyist who utilized to enactment for Ontario Premier Doug Ford failed to comply with immoderate rules portion asking for clients' onshore to beryllium removed from the Greenbelt, the province's integrity commissioner concluded Monday.

Commissioner J. David Wake laid retired respective instances successful which helium said Nico Fidani-Diker broke lobbying rules, mostly successful the people of lobbying enactment related to the protected Greenbelt lands.

Fidani-Diker failed to registry aft lobbying to effort to get onshore removed from the Greenbelt and knowingly placed 2 nationalist bureau holders successful a existent oregon imaginable struggle of involvement by offering them tickets to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, Wake wrote.

"Mr. Fidani-Diker's nonaccomplishment to register, nonaccomplishment to supply particulars and contraventions of the struggle of involvement prohibition undermines the (Lobbyists Registration) Act's intent of transparency and nationalist assurance successful the independency of nationalist assemblage determination making," helium wrote.

Fidani-Diker said successful a connection that helium ne'er intended to beryllium successful non-compliance portion lobbying.

"I judge afloat work for his decisions and findings regarding my archetypal months arsenic a registered lobbyist, erstwhile mounting up my institution 3 years ago," helium wrote.

Fidani-Diker faces nary sanctions for the violations, and the leaders of some the NDP and the Liberals said that penalties specified arsenic a prohibition connected lobbying should beryllium considered.

Fidani-Diker previously worked successful premier's office

Before starting his company, ONpoint Strategy Group, Fidani-Diker worked arsenic Ford's enforcement adjunct and manager of stakeholder relations successful Ford's bureau and with the Progressive Conservative Party.

A 2023 integrity commissioner study into the now-reversed Greenbelt onshore removals recovered that the government's process favoured definite developers, and the RCMP is besides conducting a probe into the Greenbelt decisions.

That 2023 study elaborate immoderate of Fidani-Diker's activities related to the Greenbelt and noted that successful summation to Fidani-Diker moving for the premier, helium antecedently worked for Ford's member Rob Ford erstwhile helium served arsenic the politician of Toronto.

"Mr. Fidani-Diker confirmed helium has known Premier Ford for a agelong time, arsenic their families are friends," Wake wrote. "Mr. Fidani-Diker attended some the stag and doe and the wedding held for Premier Ford's girl successful August 2022."

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the lobbying authorities needs to beryllium strengthened.

"What's truly bonzer to maine is that contempt the information that this lobbyist has intelligibly breached these laws, he'll beryllium capable to proceed to lobby," she said astatine a property league Monday. 

"I'd similar to know, who those connections are that helium has, who the 2 ... nationalist bureau holders are that are referred to. It's ridiculous that this idiosyncratic tin proceed to lobby. I mean, frankly, determination needs to beryllium teeth successful this."

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie agreed that Fidani-Diker should look much than the "slap connected the wrist" of having Wake's findings published.

"This is simply a superior breach," she said. "These are individuals who worked successful the premier's office. They good cognize what the rules are with respect to lobbying."

The RCMP's "sensitive and interior investigations" portion began a Greenbelt probe successful October, but beyond the premier's bureau confirming past summertime that interviews were underway, determination has been small denotation of however adjacent the Mounties whitethorn beryllium to concluding their investigation.

Ford has said thing transgression happened

Ford has antecedently said helium is assured thing transgression took place, but pursuing a important nationalist outcry the premier reversed people and returned each parcels of onshore successful question to the Greenbelt and promised not to interaction it again.

Provincial spokesperson Grace Lee said authorities officials "have not been engaged successful this matter" and person nary different details beyond what was successful the integrity commissioner's findings.

"We expect that anyone engaging with oregon advocating to the authorities complies with each rules and regulations arsenic acceptable retired successful legislation," Lee said.

The integrity commissioner's 2023 study recovered that then-housing curate Steve Clark violated morals rules, but said that helium had nary grounds of developers being specifically tipped disconnected that the authorities was considering Greenbelt removals.

Largely, the actions of Clark's main of unit had the effect of alerting developers that a argumentation alteration was afoot, the commissioner found.

However, Wake said "it is much apt than not" that idiosyncratic gave 1 developer a heads-up.

Ontario created the Greenbelt successful 2005 to support cultivation and environmentally delicate lands successful the Greater Golden Horseshoe country from development.