Why is it thought that you…

Why is it thought that you can simply "swap" lands between the greenbelt area and elsewhere? Shouldn't we be aiming to maintain every bit of natural area that we still have remaining? I understand that we have a housing shortage but sprawling housing developments is what got us into this mess. We cannot keep proceeding with the same strategy hoping that this time we will finally build enough homes. Population expansion in this province will be an ongoing challenge and we must find ways to tackle it without compromising our environmental values. This proposed redesignation of land will not solve the issue of housing shortage, it will only delay it.
Intensification of low-density urban areas should be of much higher priority before looking into developing the greenbelt. If not, then what is even the point of having a Greenbelt!? It seems like the land can be at a moment's notice switched from protected to developed.
We mustn't get in the habit of using quick solutions for short-term gain. I believe there is a better way forward that can provide suitable habitat for thriving ecosystems and housing for humans.