I do not support Bill 5. I…

I do not support Bill 5. I think framing ministry approval as "unnecessarily slow and complex" is incredibly irresponsible. Extinction is permanent; I would rather a million industrial projects be delayed than a single species disappear forever. This process of approval is important; allowing projects to proceed without proper oversight is dangerous to our environment.

Simply allowing a project to proceed after registering online does not provide enough protection to endangered species. To put it simply, I do not trust corporations to do the right thing. I do not want to make it easier for corporations to potentially damage habitats and harm endangered species. Sure, there are consequences for presenting false information, or omitting information, when submitting the form, but would this undo the damage done to these endangered species? Without a ministry-approved permit, how long would it take to realize a project is encroaching on protected land? At least when a permit is required, it's easier to flag projects that do not have approval. Online registration aims to simplify the approval process, but I think it makes it TOO easy. I think Bill 5 would do substantial damage to our ecosystem and environment.