This proposal is not what is…

This proposal is not what is best for Ontario's economy, and will end up causing more harm than good. This bill is masquerading as a way to benefit both humans and our native species, but narrowing definitions used to protect species and decreasing the time it takes to begin development (and therefore minimizing the examination of the impacts development will have) is purely to benefit people at the cost of our native species. We should not sacrifice our native environment in an attempt to combat American tariffs and their mismanagement of international relations. By scrapping environmental protections for the sake of development, we are following the path they are taking in the US towards overexploitation and complete disregard for the environment that we not only benefit from, but we need for survival. Furthermore, this proposal intends to scrap and amend current regulations in place to protect our species, yet the government continuesly fails to provide plans and proposals that would actually help Ontarians through this economic crisis. Why are we focusing on environmental destruction for human benefit before implementing measures that would help relieve people from economic stress, such as more accessible and affordable healthcare, universal income, better wages, affordable housing and rent caps? It is because this proposal is not actually to help Ontarians, it is to help developers make more money. The government should not be able to decide whether or not a species should be deemed at risk or not with disregard of independent scientific input - this opens the door to remove any species from the list that would be in the way of development. The government should not be narrowing the definition of a what a habitat is - species are already greatly affected by human presence in their natural spaces, and by narrowing the spaces that are preserved for their existence, we would be hurting their opportunities to thrive, grow, and recover and return to healthy population numbers. The government should not be focusing on more development without first addressing and providing solutions for affordability issues that affect the majority of Ontarians. Removing and amending already existing regulations that protect our species at risk is not how we "drive species protection and conservation". Adding protections, providing more funding for research and conservation efforts, designating more spaces as protected environments, increasing environmental education and providing incentives for sustainable development is what we should be doing to protect our species. This bill is a disgusting and shameful attempt of our provincial government to manipulate the current economic and political relationship between Canada and the US to benefit developers, the wealthy, and select individuals in power at the cost of our natural surroundings.