The province is interfering…

The province is interfering with municipal discretion and local control over local matters with the proposed restrictions on green building requirements, e-charging stations, etc.

This part of the ERO is misleading -- "Proposed changes that would remove legislative provisions regarding including climate change policies in official plans would not change the requirement in the Provincial Planning Statement for municipalities to plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate through a variety of approaches."

Municipalities themselves contribute only a small part of greenhouse gas emissions and they will not be successful alone. Green design should not be curtailed. It needs to be encouraged.

Instead of restricting what a municipality can do, the province could be doing more to support municipalities to improve their infrastructure.

Similarly, municipalities need the freedom to manage their own water and wastewater services which are crucial to a city's operations. These services must remain in public hands without shell companies running up debt that will be borne by taxpayers, eventually, or result in a deterioration of services over which they will have no control.

This government is in danger of being remembered as a government that ignored reality to the profit of a few and at the expense of all Ontarians.