(QUEEN'S PARK) -The McGuinty Liberals Greenbotch Scheme got off to a rocky
start at today's public hearings, as Minister Gerretsen failed to provide
any real answers to explain the numerous anomalies and problems with his
Greenbelt Plan that have been identified by the Official Opposition.
"The McGuinty Liberals have clearly demonstrated that their
Greenbotch
boundaries are based on political science, not environmental
science,"
stated Tim Hudak, MPP (Erie - Lincoln), and Ontario PC Municipal Affairs
Critic. "The Minister had no environmental science to explain his
decision
to attack sprawl in Beaverton while ignoring it in Barrie and leaving Boyd
Park in Minister Sorbara's riding and other sensitive areas
unprotected."
During his presentation to the committee and subsequent media scrums,
Minister Gerretsen acknowledged that there are problems with the Greenbelt
that have to be addressed. This is consistent with his comments to
CP on
January 25 when he told CP that the McGuinty Liberal Government
"would be
willing to change the Greenbelt boundaries". In addition,
Minister
Gerretsen admitted that the maps are based on the Liberals' campaign
platform.
"While we support the preservation of quality farmland and measures
to
ensure more orderly urban development, the way Mr. McGuinty has gone about
this has in fact hurt farmers," said Hudak. "He's focused
on creating
headlines rather than dealing with the issue in a thoughtful manner based
on
good environmental science."
Representing the Liberal Caucus at the Committee was Municipal Affairs
Parliamentary Assistant and Scarborough Centre MPP Brad Duguid who best
described the Liberals' approach to mapping the Greenbelt when he told the
Legislature:
"I don't give a damn whether it's real science or political
science..."
-Brad Duguid, November 17, 2004, Hansard
Last Tuesday, PC Leader John Tory and Hudak unveiled www.greenbotch.ca
<http://www.greenbotch.ca/>
that was developed to let affected farmers,
landowners, municipalities and other concerned citizens have their say and
urge the McGuinty government to fix their Greenbotch.
