INSIDE THE VILLAGE: Why you should care about the Greenbelt scandal

​Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.

On this week's episode: Everything you need to know about the Greenbelt scandal.

In a bombshell report, Ontario’s auditor-general found that Doug Ford’s government gave “preferential treatment” to prominent developers during last year’s controversial changes to the Greenbelt.

Bonnie Lysyk’s report reads like a hidden camera, explaining how certain developers used their “direct access” to a senior political staffer to push for their plots of land to be removed from the protected Greenbelt, leaving them free to build on.

Here to explain the revelations — and why Ontarians should care — are two journalists who know the story as well as anyone: Jessica Smith Cross and Aidan Chamandy of The Trillium, Village Media’s online news source at Queen’s Park.

Launched six months ago, The Trillium is a must-read news site devoted to in-depth, insider coverage of politics and policy at the Ontario Legislature.

Passionate and plugged in, our Queen's Park team covers every angle of the Legislative Assembly, delivering the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex legislative changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian.

If you haven't checked it out already, the site also features one of the best political podcasts around: The Trill. You can listen to every episode HERE, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode is available HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.