I am strongly opposed to…

I am strongly opposed to this proposed legislation, which unreasonably classifies a proven conservation process as "unnecessary delays and costs for housing, transit, and critical infrastructure." The current government's approach is, effectively, to steamroll current conservation practices in order to bolster housing, transit, and critical infrastructure--and yet the current government has already proven itself incapable of meeting these demands.

The current government has also proven that it continually prioritizes the financial benefit of private developers over the public, to the continued detriment of the public. This new legislation is a brazen continuation of the Ford government's unethical approach to provincial infrastructure management and further demonstrates its ongoing refusal to meet Ontario citizens where they are. The proposed legislation's inclusion of “special economic zones,” whereby Cabinet can exempt areas and companies from applicable laws, raises serious concerns that the current government will continue to find avenues to fail the province in terms of its transparency, accountability, and environmental stewardship.

The bill proposes to fast-track mining and infrastructure development — including in ecologically sensitive and contested areas like the Ring of Fire — without proper consultation or consent from Indigenous communities. This will likely result in increased lawsuits and a loss of time and money to the detriment of everyone.

A “register-first, ask-questions-later” model for species-at-risk permits will allow developers to proceed with significant environmental disruption and devastation before environmental implications are fully known.

The necessary action required to bolster housing and transit is NOT to effectively steamroll environmental protections.