I’m glad to have an opportunity to ask the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks a few questions about the environment, about public input. He’s referring to this 30-day pause after the class EA process period as being a nonsensical pause, but it’s an opportunity for the ministry to review all comments received and any concerns, and I would say that the voices of communities should matter to this government.

The Auditor General, as I raised yesterday, outlined clearly that ministry after ministry doesn’t seem to be considering public input, and that’s an unfortunate pattern for this government. We also know, according to their affordability task force, we don’t require the land in the greenbelt. I wonder how the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks actually feels about the fact that we’re doing such harm to the greenbelt in the province of Ontario?

My question is to the Premier. The government has said that in order for a property to be removed from the greenbelt, it had to meet certain criteria, including that it “must be on or near readily serviceable land.”

The chief administrative officer for Durham region wrote this to the minister about the changes to the greenbelt plan and about the lands in Durham slated for removal: “Servicing solutions for these lands have not been developed. No plans have been developed, and downstream infrastructure has not been sized to accommodate extensive development within these areas;

“c. The availability of electricity, and community services to support this growth has not been contemplated in any other plans to date.”

Why did the government remove the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve and greenbelt lands in Durham region despite the fact the lands did not meet the government’s own removal criteria?

The province, at its own greenbelt consultation, assured municipalities that “No removal or land exchanges proposed,” and, “the government will not consider the removal of any lands from the greenbelt.” That was just a year ago. The Durham CAO wrote, “Since the expectation was that the greenbelt was to be protected in perpetuity, servicing solutions for these lands have simply not been developed.” The land in Durham doesn’t meet the government’s own criteria, and the government has promised, “If these conditions are not met, the government will ... return the properties ... to the Greenbelt.”

Since our lands aren’t serviced or near readily serviceable land, when will the minister return the DRAP lands and Durham greenbelt lands safely to the greenbelt?