NIAGARA — NDP Municipal Affairs critic Jeff Burch released the following statement on behalf of the Official Opposition as cabinet deliberates a scheme to give the mayors of the Toronto and Ottawa more unilateral powers:

“Why did Premier Doug Ford keep his Strong Mayor plan secret throughout the campaign? Why won’t he consult municipalities or the people they represent? It’s baffling that Ford is focused on giving two mayors more power, instead of working on giving municipalities support that would actually help people — like better funding for housing, public health, long-term care and transit.”