I wish to express my strong…

I wish to express my strong opposition to Bill 66, and in particular with the schedule 10 amendments to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Planning act.

The addition of the Open-for-business planning by-law allows municipalities to override critical environmental protections that have been put in place over the last twenty years to preserve Ontario's natural heritage. Acts such as the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Protection Act, Greenbelt Act, Lake Simcoe Protection Act, and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act have been developed and implemented by leadership on both sides of the political spectrum based on rigorous science, widespread consultations, expertise in the field and the voices of the residents of Ontario.

We should be moving forward not backward. At time when we are facing increasing ecological crises around the world, we need leadership from government and industry that is innovative and competitive while also protecting our most precious natural resources. Opening up our waterways for pollution, putting farmland and natural habitat at risk and allowing development in our protected green spaces and corridors is short sited at best.

The resources that the water, land, and air provide will be needed for for future economic growth, but even more importantly, they are needed for our future generations to live. We should be using these resources wisely and become leaders in development that is sustainable ecologically and economically in the long term. Short term profits for industry are simply not worth risking our clean drinking water, our food producing spaces and the natural habitats that provide invaluable benefits to us all.

Please listen to your constituents and think more wisely about the future you intend to lead us into