I do not support exempting…

I do not support exempting Highway 413 from the Environmental Assessment Act. Ontario was a leader in environmental protection when it first introduced the Environmental Assessment Act in 1975, 20 years before the federal government introduced the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The purpose of the provincial act states "... this Act is the betterment of the people of the whole or any part of Ontario by providing for the protection, conservation and wise management in Ontario of the environment". I find it impossible to understand how exempting Highway 413 will fulfill the purpose of this Act and how putting the 413 in place more quickly will protect or conserve the enviroment. This act that applies mainly to government led projects and was put in place to ensure government accountability and transparency; clearly not something the current government is interested in.

While I understand that EA processes are sometimes lengthy, a much better solution would have been for the government to put effort into creating more efficient, but thorough processes that would investigate environmental impacts and put measures in place to mitigate and prevent environmental damage. Instead this proposal and the changes made in 2020 essentially gut the Act so that it does not apply to the government's biggest and highest priority projects. Given other recent legislative changes such as the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, it is clear that this government has no interest in protecting the environment or taking any action to reduce Ontario's contribution to Climate Change. If Ontario is looking to be a leader in greenhouse gas emmissions, then we are well on the way.