The Ontario government is holding closed door meetings with an unknown number of residents to get advice on compensation for homeowners affected by the Caledonia standoff.
The Liberal government is asking the group, called the Caledonia Community Committee, to sign agreements to keep the discussions confidential.
The move has outraged Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant Tory MPP Toby Barrett, who says some members have told him they would have preferred to have a more public process because they have concerns about the government's trustworthiness. He said one resident walked out when asked to sign the confidentiality document and some have complained it's a select few who have been invited to talk to staff from the Municipal Affairs ministry.
"They're perplexed on this strategy," said Barrett, who notes the province has never held a town-hall meeting on the year-long native occupation of a former housing site.
"People are so guarded and suspicious ... What are they hiding from the broader community? These type of meetings are not good for the community as a whole."
The group is so confidential that Municipal Affairs spokesman Roger Moyer won't even say how many residents make up the Caledonia committee or when and where they meet.
Moyer, local government manager in the ministry's London office, said committee members agreed to keep details confidential. He would only say the group is meeting at a Caledonia location on a weekly basis. He said it's only meeting for a few weeks and is expected to file its advice to Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen within a couple of weeks.
"They are holding these meetings in confidence," Moyer said. "They are volunteers. They've got jobs, families ... I'm not calling these secret meetings. The minister asked a group of volunteers to meet to give him advice."
Moyer said that whatever compensation package is decided on by the government will be made public. Some residents last year wanted the government to buy them out. Moyer said Queen's Park is aware of the requests, but added, "Certainly, at this point, the government is not contemplating the buyout of properties."
The meetings stem from an announcement last June that the province would consider an assistance program for residents adversely affected by the occupation of Douglas Creek Estates.