I strongly oppose Bill 5,…

I strongly oppose Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act. This legislation poses a serious threat to Ontario’s natural heritage, democratic processes and Indigenous rights.

Bill 5 proposes to repeal the Endangered Species Act — one of the few tools we have to protect at-risk wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. Replacing it with vague “goals” and unenforceable measures will lead to the further decline of species already on the brink. This is not modernization. It’s deregulation that puts short-term industrial gain ahead of long-term ecological and community health.

Equally alarming is the creation of “special economic zones” that would allow cabinet to approve major development projects without proper environmental assessment, public input or Indigenous consultation. This short cut for Ford’s friends undermines transparency, accountability and Ontario’s duty to uphold Indigenous rights and treaties.

Ontarians have not asked for weaker protections or less say in decisions that affect the province’s land, water and future. Bill 5 would silence community voices, marginalize science and erase decades of hard-won environmental progress.

I urge the Ontario government to withdraw Bill 5 in its entirety and instead work with environmental experts, Indigenous leaders and the public to strengthen — not dismantle — our systems of environmental protection.

Environmental protection is being scapegoated as the reason Ontario can't build enough homes or can't generate economic growth.

The government's own reports show there is more than enough land already set aside for 1.5 million houses and nearly all the required permits have been issued. I wonder why the developer oligarchy in Ontario has never challenged as to why they aren't building but put off developments at their whim because they won't make enough profit. Why are they holding on to land and permits instead of being forced to build or face expropriation and the land and permits handed over to someone who will build?

The Ontario government seems to want to keep Ontario as a "hewer of wood and drawers of water" with its antiquated economic policies built on resource extraction and construction. Why can't it devise policies that will make the province the equal of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other countries that have virtually no resources but are economic powerhouses?

Why does the Ontario government continue to see the environment as a place to pillage rather than treating it as the natural capital it is and to use it wisely and parsimoniously as would any financially astute government.

Protecting nature is not a barrier to economic growth. It’s the foundation of a healthy, resilient and just society.