QUEEN'S PARK — Marit Stiles, next leader of the Ontario NDP, issued the following statement in light of reports that the Ford government is plowing ahead with plans to remove land from, and gut protections for, the Greenbelt, ignoring broad public opposition:
"The government's own consultations show a public response that is unequivocal: Doug Ford should leave the Greenbelt alone.
People don't want Ford removing vast tracts of farmland, forest and wetland from the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine. They don't want him gutting environmental protections for this invaluable green space. They don't want him jeopardizing the farmland we need to grow food and the wetlands and forests we need to protect wildlife and combat the impacts of climate change.
Doug Ford lied to Ontarians about protecting the Greenbelt. He continues to show his true colours by ignoring everyone — the individuals, municipalities, Indigenous communities, environmental groups, farmers and conservation authorities— who oppose this disastrous scheme. It’s despicable that he’s bulldozing ahead with Greenbelt carve-ups anyway, paving the way for land speculators to cash in.
The NDP will continue to stand with Ontarians in the fight to stop the Ford government from carving up our precious Greenbelt.”