This is probably the worst…

This is probably the worst bill this government has proposed - and that is saying something given this government's track record.

First of all I find it unconscionable that this government is hiding behind the Ontario housing crisis it has in large part created as an excuse to open up irreplaceable wetlands and farm land.

Secondly, this bill will encourage developers to build luxury housing mostly in rural areas of Ontario where it is not needed, instead of sustainable affordable housing where it is needed, in the province's urban centers.

Thirdly, this green belt housing will have to be built from scratch - no services like roads, sewers or public transit so it will not only be a strain on local municipalities, it will only add to climate change and permanent environmental damage. Add to that the environmental damage caused by people commuting to these new homes in rural areas.

Fourthly, this government's track record on reducing "duplicate requirements and streamline the evaluation process" has been abysmal. Remember how this government eliminated the "red tape" of surprise retirement and nursing home inspections just before Covid hit and people died needlessly. In 2019, this government closed the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, and now a serious problem has been identified at a "for profit" child group home where a troubled 16 year-old committed suicide, and numerous complaints about physical abuse and have gone ignored. If this bill is passed it is pretty obvious that all environmental laws and standards will disappear.

Fifthly, This government made a solemn election promise that it was not going to open up the Green Belt to development. And yet despite that promise, several developers who are known donors to the governing party bought huge tracts of land in the greenbelt after this government was elected. Why would a developer buy land that he/she knew was not allowed to be developed? With the government's breaking of its promise these lucky developers now stand to gain massive windfall profits on their investments. This is an outright fleecing of the Ontario taxpayer by the ruling party and its donors. This needs to be investigated by the police.

I could go on but any one of the above five reasons is reason enough not to pass this bill. This is not an update to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, it is a complete and utter dismantling of it.