One of the go-to progressive criticisms of Ontario Premier Doug Ford is that he prioritizes developers’ interests over the Ontario public’s interests. This has been a recurring theme throughout his time in provincial politics, with questions about his use of minister’s zoning orders , his pandemic restrictions that applied to almost everyone except construction sites, his meddling in urban boundaries and, most recently, his plan to build Highway 413.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath alleges Highway 413 will be little more than a gift to Ford’s developer “buddies” and even used her opening remarks in the last leadership debate to drive the point home. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca also says the highway would only benefit wealthy developers, and promises to end what he calls “abused” MZOs.Article content
Housing is currently one of the biggest issues for Ontarians, who watched the province’s average sale price soarin two years. The pain is no longer concentrated in urban centres, either, but has spread through the suburbs to even remote small towns. While the problem is larger than any one factor, a big chunk of the blame can be placed on lack of supply. This is so obvious that every single party in the Ontario race promises to increase our housing supply, and fast. All the parties also, at least partly, plan to do this by introducing zoning changes to expedite development. The only differences are what type of development, and where.