A growing chorus of municipal politicians and environmentalists want the Ontario government to delay or scrap its housing action plan, saying the legislation, which could pass as early as next week, hands too much power to the development industry and will speed the conversion of farmland into sprawl.
“What this government has demonstrated is that when there is enough of an outcry by the people of Ontario, they recognize that,” Mr. Matlow told a news conference on Friday at Queen’s Park, flanked by other Toronto councillors and environmentalists.The Progressive Conservative government’s Bill 108 would rewrite more than a dozen pieces of legislation in order to increase the supply of new housing.
In an open letter released on Friday, six Toronto-area mayors and more than 40 municipal councillors urge the PC government to pause the legislation, which was unveiled only on May 2 but could be passed as early as next week. They want consultations on the complex bill extended to Sept. 1. Committee hearings on the bill were held on Friday.
In a detailed analysis provided to The Globe and Mail, activist group Environmental Defence says the Ontario government’s recent housing action plan fulfills 20 of 28 demands on a wish list submitted by the Ontario Home Builders’ Association that the environmental group says will make it easier to convert farmland into suburban sprawl.Joe Vaccaro, chief executive officer of the OHBA, denied the changes would result in unbridled sprawl.
How can you except the premier to understand complexity? He’s a high school dropout. Sad but true.