Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie ruled out the use of the notwithstanding clause to dismantle homeless encampments, rejecting calls from municipal leaders who have been asking for stronger support from the province.
She made the comments to QP Briefing during her second attempt of the day to speak with reporters. Her team sent out an advisory providing the media with the wrong start time for a press conference.
When reporters arrived around 10:15, still ahead of the 10:30 start, Crombie had already wrapped up her remarks and left, leaving the confused press with nothing but empty microphones. When her team finally realized the blunder, they scrambled to get her back.
Crombie came back and re-did the whole press conference — this time, with the media in attendance.
She made clear that while she supports a new deal for municipalities to help fund housing and infrastructure projects, she does not believe that “overriding constitutional rights” is the solution to addressing homelessness.
“The answer to homelessness is housing, not legal loopholes,” she said.
“With respect to the notwithstanding clause, no, I do not support it in that instance,” Crombie said. “We need a plan for people who are homeless. We need somewhere to put them.”
Sixteen mayors from the Ontario Big City Mayors caucus, led by Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, formally wrote to the premier in October urging the province to grant them additional powers, and even use the notwithstanding clause if necessary, to prohibit encampments and impose stricter penalties for repeat trespassers.
Premier Doug Ford’s government appeared to respond to these concerns by introducing the Safer Municipalities Act last December, which proposed harsher penalties for continuous trespassing and expanded police powers to dismantle encampments.
Ford himself said he was open to using the notwithstanding clause if necessary.
However, the bill was shelved following Ford’s decision to call a snap election for February 27.
Ford has said he remains open to using the clause if necessary and put his legislation forward if he forms government, saying that municipalities are “done with all this stuff.”
During her answer, Crombie said what the province really needs is a coordinated housing strategy, not “punitive measures.”
She pointed to her party’s plan to lower housing costs, including eliminating hidden taxes that add up to $170,000 to home prices and waiving the land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers and seniors.
“They [homeless people] need supportive housing with wraparound services,” she said. “These are our children. In some cases, in particular, my case, this was a parent — my biological father — who lived on the streets and was fortunate enough towards the end of his life to be taken in at the Seaton House, where he received the services he needed to overcome his addiction.”
Crombie also criticized the provincial government for downloading the homelessness crisis onto municipalities without a fully funded strategy, saying that mayors have been forced to develop their own solutions, such as modular homes and tiny home communities, using local property tax dollars.
“There should be a coordinated effort with all mayors and the province,” she said. “This is a provincial responsibility and should be properly funded.”
Her stance on this issue aligns with that of Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who has also ruled out the use of the notwithstanding clause and has committed to creating 60,000 new supportive housing units instead.