Former councillor Rob Strang earns provincial Green nomination

Newly elected provincial Green Party candidate Rob Strang wants to make the upcoming election a referendum on development issues for Dufferin-Caledon.

"The only development that should take place is development that improves our quality of life and enhances a sustainable economy," the former Orangeville town councillor said.

Strang won the nomination over Bolton resident Patti Foley, in a strongly contested race that saw local Green Party membership triple in the past three weeks. Roughly 70 people came out to hear the two candidates speak at the Caledon Community Complex.

After serving one term on Orangeville council between 2003 and 2006, Strang said he decided to run provincially because municipal politicians are hamstrung by provincial development policies. Policies, he said, that need to be changed; policies that encourage development to go ahead when it undermines the quality of life of communities. He rejects the Liberals' Places to Grow plan, which has slated hundreds of thousands of people to move into the 30,000 acres south of the greenbelt in southern Caledon, and another 27,000 people north of the greenbelt in Dufferin County. He acknowledges that the Liberal plan is better than what the Conservatives had, "but it won't make Dufferin-Caledon a better place to live."

The self-employed engineer wants to see fixed urban boundaries, not just in the greenbelt, but as part of a comprehensive plan for the province. Quality of life standards also need to be set that ensure schools, doctors and recreational facilities are in place before residential development goes ahead.

He is also calling for a provincial "accountability act" that would prohibit campaign donations from business, union and lobby groups. "Only then will politicians be able to make policies that support a strong sustainable economy with a high quality of life that protects farmland, wetlands and green spaces."

A resident of Dufferin County since 1988, Strang will not accept campaign donations from special interests. He challenges the candidates of the other parties to do the same.