Ontario’s housing minister resigned Monday amid the controversy surrounding the removal of land from the Greenbelt for housing-development purposes.

Steve Clark said in his resignation letter that he has become “a distraction” and needs to “take accountability for what has transpired.” Ongoing turmoil has resulted since the province removed 15 land parcels (3,000 acres) from the Greenbelt, a protected area surrounding the Greater Toronto Area, in 2022.

Integrity Commissioner David Wake’s recent report found that Clark violated ethics bylaws, did not properly oversee the land-removal process and violated MPP conflict-of-interest and insider-information rules. As Connect reported, outgoing Auditor-General Lysyk issued a scathing report that accused the province of removing the land through a “biased” process that favoured “certain prominent developers.”

Paul Calandra has assumed Clark’s municipal affairs and housing portfolio as part of a cabinet shuffle. Calandra previously served as the long-term care minister.

Clark will retain his Legislature seat and serve as a government backbencher.