I strongly oppose the Ford…

I strongly oppose the Ford government's plan to remove protected land from the Greenbelt and allow its development, for a few reasons. First, the Greenbelt lands hold some of Ontario's most valuable agricultural land, forests and wetlands (which provide natural protection against flooding and other effects of climate change). Second, removing protection for the 7,400 targeted acres undermines the principle of permanent protection, erodes certainty needed for effective land planning, and sets a terrible precedent for future land speculators to lobby the provincial government. Third, the decision is not evidence-based: the government's own Housing Affordability Task Force made clear that there is ample land available both within built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside the Greenbelt. Fourth, I am incensed that a small handful of big donors to the PC Party of Ontario stand to make huge profits on this redesignation. To be clear: I voted for the PC Party in the last election, but this non-sensical policy decision and apparent open corruption are enough to turn me away forever.