Doug Ford's Tories set to abandon lucrative fundraiser in wake of Greenbelt scandal

In the wake of the Greenbelt land swap scandal, Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are poised to scrap their most lucrative annual fundraiser, the Star has learned. The "leader's dinner" , bringing in $6 million to PC campaign coffers. Held at the cavernous Toronto Congress Centre on Dixon Road, that $1,500 a plate event was attended by 4,000 people, including property developers and their employees and family members.

But the Greenbelt affair, which is now the subject of , has radically altered the landscape. "No decision has been made on a leader's dinner this year," the party said Thursday in a terse statement one day after the Star inquired about the status of the annual gala. But behind the scenes, Tories point out such large scale fundraisers require months to organize, promote and .

No such activity is happening. "It's smart not to do it this year," said one senior PC insider, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations. The source noted many developers are still furious at Ford's reversal of the opening up of 7,400 acres of the environmentally sensitive two million acre Greenbelt to build houses.

His flip flop could cost landowners $8.28 billion, according to some estimates. That means they are far less likely to want to buy tickets to listen a banquet speech from the premier, the official said. Last month, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra, who took over the troubled department in September and has some controversial decisions, to homebuilders.

"The failures that have happened over the last number of months aren't a failing of your industry," Calandra said Dec. 6 at the Building Industry and Land Development Association’s ( in Woodbridge. "It's a failing of government — as how we have put together the things that we have wanted to accomplish," he said, candidly admitting the Tories only have themselves to blame.

"The — and the inability of us to bring people with us — is what has caused the challenges over the last number of months and we will not repeat those mistakes going forward." Party insiders also concede the optics of a "leader's dinner" are problematic in the aftermath of the Greenbelt saga.

Last August, separate reports to the legislature by the and the concluded "certain developers" were "favoured" when to home construction in November 2022. Public outcry, poll and private kvetching by Tory MPPs, who were hearing about the debacle from constituents across the province, led .

"It was a mistake to open the Greenbelt. I'm very, very sorry," Ford said at that time. "I made a promise to you that I wouldn't touch the Greenbelt. I broke that promise. As a first step to earning back your trust, I'll be reversing the changes," he said. "We moved too quickly and we made the wrong decision … it caused people to question our motives." So far, has triggered the resignations of two cabinet members — and — and led to the departures of two senior aides.

Despite that, the Tories are still raising more money than the opposition New Democrats or Liberals, although final official 2023 tallies for the parties from are not yet available. While last year's sold out PC leader's dinner was the largest single political fundraiser in Canadian history, it was closed to the media.

Under previous Tory, Liberal and NDP premiers, such partisan events were open to journalists, but Ford after the had been enlisted to sell tickets. In his 2023 speech, the premier pointedly did not mention the Greenbelt, although he did emphasize the need to boost the supply of housing in fast growing Ontario.

"We're taking bold action to build 1.5 million new homes (by 2031) to bring the dream of home ownership into reach for those who have been left behind," Ford said last March 2. "For years, owning a home has been out of reach for too many families — at times, it's felt impossible, but together we're finally doing something about it," he said.

"Friends, this one is critical because we will have 300,000 people a year moving to Ontario, our communities are growing at a rapid pace. That’s amazing news — we need every newcomer we can get, every new worker in search of the Ontario dream — and we need housing construction to keep pace.".