Ontario’s newly appointed minister of the environment, conservation and parks is facing a wave of skepticism from environmental advocates and political opponents — not just for his lack of climate policy experience, but also for his controversial claim about Greenbelt development.
Earlier this year, Todd McCarthy said a 2018 video of Premier Doug Ford vowing to open the protected Greenbelt region for development was “fake news” that was potentially generated by AI. The video — verified and widely reported during Ford’s 2018 election campaign — captured the premier telling developers he planned to “open a big chunk” of the Greenbelt for housing. But during a February door-knocking exchange caught on a resident’s doorbell camera, McCarthy, then a PC candidate in Durham, dismissed the clip. “That’s fake news. Heard about AI? Be careful,” he said. “People can make anyone look like anything.”
The Ford government later said McCarthy had misunderstood which video was being referenced. Still, his dismissal of a well-documented environmental controversy — and subsequent appointment as the province’s top environmental official — has alarmed critics who say it signals the Ford government’s ongoing disregard for environmental priorities.
The appointment came as part of Ford’s post-election cabinet shuffle, which replaced outgoing Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin with McCarthy, a lawyer and MPP for Durham. While McCarthy brings legal expertise to the role, he lacks any background in environmental advocacy or climate policy — a gap that observers fear could further delay action on pressing ecological issues.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called the appointment “disturbing.”
Schreiner questioned whether any members of the Ford government genuinely prioritize climate action. “Since they took office, they’ve dismantled Ontario’s climate plan, scrapped clean energy programs, and weakened protections for endangered species and farmland,” he said.
Still, Schreiner said he’s open to working with McCarthy — if the new minister is serious about delivering results. He offered to collaborate on initiatives, such as creating a food belt to protect Ontario farmland, supporting affordable home energy retrofits, expanding public transit and using public procurement to prioritize clean electricity. "These are actions that would reduce pollution, lower costs for families, and strengthen Ontario’s economy, if this government is willing to act,” he said. “But based on their record so far, I don’t have much confidence they will.”
Earlier this year, Todd McCarthy said a 2018 video of Premier Doug Ford vowing to open the protected Greenbelt region for development was “fake news” that was potentially generated by AI.
Kevin Thomason, a long-time environmental advocate and vice-chair of the Grand River Environmental Network, said McCarthy’s appointment was both unsurprising and deeply concerning.
“He's not only been a lawyer, he's been a judge, he's been a professor,” Thomason said. “He's got a very accomplished background on many facets, but it's not even like he was an environmental lawyer or … [has] a track record of environmental achievement.”
For Thomason, the appointment reflects a broader pattern in the Ford government. “It's one of those things where it's not surprising to see Ford putting ministers who have absolutely no experience or background into these cabinet posts,” Thomason said. It might also come down to a lack of options within the party, he added. “It's not like there's a lot of environmentalists in the Conservative Party … So, given the team that he's got to choose from, is this the best that can be done?”
Thomason criticized the Ford government’s lack of transparency, particularly its continued refusal to release mandate letters outlining ministerial responsibilities. He said if the premier made these documents public like previous governments have, it would help Ontarians understand what each minister is expected to accomplish, what the government’s priorities are and how those responsibilities align with the public interest.
Reflecting on McCarthy’s dismissal of a verified Greenbelt video as “fake news,” Thomason said it was “ironic” that Ford appointed him to lead the province’s environmental portfolio. “I just find that somewhat confounding,” he added.
Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, said while McCarthy lacks environmental experience, his legal expertise could still be useful. “Yeah, he does not have an environmental background, but he's a lawyer, so he should understand lawmaking and environmental laws and why they are so important to the people of Ontario.”
Gray noted that McCarthy’s riding includes parts of Lake Ontario and Lake Scugog. “He's going to be on the front line around Great Lakes issues, including protection [of] our drinking water,” he said, especially as the US weakens pollution rules along the lakes.
“Unlike on the US side, where we have multiple states, the Great Lakes on the Canadian side only have Ontario.”
Despite the Ford government’s poor track record on environmental and climate, Gray said a committed minister can still make a difference. “Where you have ministers that have strong personal commitment … you quite often see them being very effective advocates.”
For short-term action, Gray suggested establishing Ontario’s deposit return system, which the government declined to implement last year. “We know that it would massively decrease the amount of pollution in Ontario,” he said. He added that McCarthy should also push for a shift away from gas toward renewable energy. “He needs to be raising those issues in the cabinet as the environment minister.”
Ontario is the worst in Canada for nature conservation, according to a new national report card. The province received an F — the lowest grade of any jurisdiction — in a recent report from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society due to environmental neglect, unchecked industrial expansion and a failure to seize key conservation opportunities, the report found.
In recent years, the Ford government has introduced legislative changes to fast-track housing and infrastructure projects, while cutting environmental assessment timelines for roads, rail, and transmission lines. The province has also faced criticism for proposed amendments to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act.
Conservation groups warn the changes would reduce protections for at-risk species like the redside dace minnow and butternut tree — both found in areas slated for development, such as the proposed Highway 413 corridor.
Canada’s National Observer reached out to Ontario's environment minister for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.