Mississauga politician resigns from Ontario cabinet amid Greenbelt questions
Published September 20, 2023 at 5:06 pm
Mississauga East-Cooksville MPP Kaleed Rasheed has resigned as Ontario’s minister of public and business service delivery amid revelations from an investigation by the province’s integrity commissioner that reportedly shows alleged contradictions related to a Las Vegas trip and Ontario’s Greenbelt controversy.
Rasheed, 41, who has served in the cabinet position since June 2022 and as a Mississauga MPP since 2018, also resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the MPP has vowed to clear his name and in the meantime says he will continue to serve his constituents in Mississauga.
In a statement posted to social media late this afternoon, Rasheed said:
“Today, I submitted my resignation to Premier Ford from Cabinet and the Ontario PC caucus, effective immediately. While incredibly difficult, this decision was made so as not to distract from the important work of the government. I look forward to taking the steps required to clear my name with the Integrity Commissioner so that I can return to the Ontario PC team as soon as possible. As I do, I will continue to serve my constituents of Mississauga East-Cooksville.”
A statement from the Premier’s Office said a new minister of public and business service delivery would be named in the next few days.
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The Ontario integrity commissioner’s probe into controversial Greenbelt land swaps also reportedly led to the Mississauga politician being asked about a trip to Las Vegas as part of the investigation.
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