Bill 5 amends the species at…

Bill 5 amends the species at risk Act to make it virtually useless in its ability to protect species at risk. It gives full discretionary power to Government essentially saying trust us. The excuse is the need to speed up approvals so economic projects can proceed and economic projects are essential to deal with the threat of the USA. If we have to ruin our country and allow uncontrolled despoliation of endangered species habitat then we are abandoning our principles and becoming no better than the USA.
The Canadian Environmental Association has written a carefully considered brief referencing among others your own Auditor General who points out the current government has done nothing to protect endangered species and instead has progressively weakened protections and abandoned enforcement. The new act will I'm sure go even further.
Bill 5 In its entirety represents an abuse of power. It curtails public participation, it enables unfettered and unregulated development by government decree, it threatens indigenous rights, despoils precious ecosystems, eliminates the involvement of experts and dangerously centralizes power with political ministers who can override what little regulation remains. It also provides immunity from any complaint to hold the government and its agents to account. The government will not be liable for any harm they might enable.
South of the border we are witnessing the deconstruction of systems of democracy and Canadians rejected that approach. It is exceptionally worrying that here in Ontario we are not acting on principle. We are not protecting the most vulnerable or our environment. We are passing legislation that erodes our system of checks and balances. Bill 5 belongs south of the border. It does not belong in Ontario.