I am deeply concerned about…

I am deeply concerned about Bill 5, The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, as it is anti-democratic, anti-environmental, and grants powers to the government without accountability.

My first concern is the “Special Economic Zones” which allows the provincial government to select “shovel ready zones” exempt from municipal and provincial laws, without environmental safeguards or public consultations with people living in the affected areas. This Bill erodes our democratic system by giving the Premier and Ministers the power to circumvent the laws to select any property they want for development. It doesn’t hold the government accountable for decisions made (under this Bill) to the legislature or Ontarians.
The legislation permitting these “Special Economic Zones” should be omitted completely from Bill 5.

My second concern is the “Species Conservation Act”, which scraps the protections for at-risk species and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act. The government wants to limit environmental protections that could hinder certain development projects in specific areas like the Greenbelt. But, preserving healthy ecosystems and protecting different species has benefits to our province such as clean air & water, oxygen generation & reduction of carbon dioxide, flood-resistance, erosion protection, and provision of green space for recreation purposes. The Greenbelt also includes farmland, which we need for sustainable food sources, especially since our trade partnership with the United States is constantly changing and unpredictable. In Ontario we lose about 319 acres of prime farmland daily. This is concerning.
The Endangered Species Act should not be scrapped, as it provides importance benefits to maintaining healthy ecosystems, which contributes to the health of humans.

My third concern is the removal of the need for a full environmental assessment of Eagle’s Nest Mine in the Ring of Fire. That area includes peatlands that store carbon, thus putting this climate critical area in jeopardy. This section of the Bill also violates Indigenous rights to be consulted and is counter to their climate concerns.

The Legislative Assembly was developed to ensure a balance of power. Creating environmental and planning rules helped to shape our democratic system, as did allowing for public participation/consultations as part of the process. It helped to stop unregulated industrial development in the past that contributed to negative health effects on people and the environment. We can’t allow any government to create bills that override our democratic system, scrap environmental safeguards, and violate the rights of citizens.
Winning a majority does not give the government freedom to forego public consultations or environmental assessments. The ruling government must follow our democratic system and be held accountable for their actions.