Bill 5 is a scam and I…

Bill 5 is a scam and I believe moving forward with this bill is a huge mistake. Dissolving environmental protections in the interest of "unleashing the economy" is extremely short sighted and, if the Ford administration's other ideas and ventures are any indication, will not end up benefiting most Ontarians. Doug Ford's interests always lie with his own gain, often to the detriment of Ontario's people (e.g. Bill 124). I believe undermining and limiting indigenous influence in our environmental decisions, as proposed in Bill 5, is another HUGE error. The province must do a better job of nurturing our relationship with indigenous people, and hold their perspectives in high esteem, because their belief is in protecting the health and longevity of this land we all live on. What is the point of "unleashing the economy" if the province suffers environmental catastrophe in the process? Surely environmental degeneration will result if the Ford government is given fewer obstacles in their decision making. If the Therme-Ontario Place project can tell us anything, it is that the Ford government clearly does not make informed decisions- or at least does not make decisions informed by the needs of the people. Not only is the investment in Therme extremely poor and under researched, but now coyotes are roaming around Parkdale, likely because their habitat is being destroyed. It's embarrassing to watch. Doug Ford has seemingly no regard for the consequences of his rash decisions. I would truly hate to see what he would do with fewer due processes in place, and I fail to imagine how anything he does with Bill 5 will be in the interest the majority of his constituents. Environmental issues aside, any policy that lessens or removes opportunity for experts and constituents to weigh in is a dangerous, slippery slope to not having any say in changes that affect our lives and communities. To summarize, I, a born and raised Ontarian, strongly disapprove of Bill 5.