Democracy is about political…

Democracy is about political leaders stating actions they will take and delivering after elections.

Repeated promises were made that there would be no removal of lands from the Greenbelt, yet the Government of Ontario is planning to carve 7,400 acres out of the Greenbelt. The proposal violates the commitments made in the democratic election of 2022 and before, and have shocked and outraged Ontarians of all stripes, and for good reason.

Broken promises are offensive in their own right. People have every reason to be angry about the attack on the Greenbelt.

The government’s purported rationale – that the land is needed to solve the housing crisis – is untrue, as stated by the governments own task force on housing. Land supply is not the issue.

The amount of land already designated for development far exceeds what is needed to meet long-range housing targets. That includes 86,500 acres within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area alone.

Removal of the land also creates a precedent that will lead to speculation and constant demand for additional changes. This is what the Greenbelt Plan was designed to prevent.

Protected landscape including farmland and natural areas need to remain conserved. These amendments to remove lands should be rejected. Adding to the Greenbelt protected landscape the river valleys and as well as the Paris-Galt Moraine lands should proceed.