I support the addition of…

I support the addition of the Paris-Galt Moraine to the Greenbelt protected lands, but that does not in any way compensate for the removal of existing properties from the Greenbelt to facilitate the construction of new housing. The government's Housing Affordability Task Force specifically advised against such action, citing the availability of abundant development-ready land within existing municipalities, and the paramount need for environmental protection. This removal of property from Greenbelt designation sets a very bad precedent that bodes ill for the long-term preservation of farmland, forests, and wetlands in the GTA and the Golden Horseshoe, setting the stage for unbridled suburban sprawl. It is all the more odious given that a number of the properties to be released were recently purchased by developers who have donated to the governing Conservative Party of Ontario. This short-sighted government policy appears to be driven by vested private interests at the expense of the public interest, and is to be condemned. It is Premier Ford making good on his pre-election promise in 2018 to a closed audience of developers that he would open up the Greenbelt, subsequent public promises to the contrary be damned.