A former Conservative federal cabinet minister and Toronto mayor has stepped down as head of Ontario's Greenbelt Council in protest over proposed rules he says would gut environmental protections in the province.
David Crombie says his resignation, which takes effect immediately, comes in response to measures contained in the Progressive Conservatives' omnibus budget bill tabled last month.
The budget ostensibly focuses on helping the province bounce back from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, though it contains measures on several other issues.
Crombie contends Schedule 6 of the bill would strip power from local conservation authorities and expand ministerial authority on zoning and other potentially sensitive environmental issues.
Crombie, who was named to a three-year term as chair in March 2018, says the Greenbelt Council has tried in vain to persuade the government to withdraw Schedule 6 from the bill.
He says his resignation comes about as a result of what he describes as fundamental differences of opinion on the province's Greenbelt policy direction.