I'm going to borrow the…

I'm going to borrow the words of someone else in my community because they lay out my concerns so well:

"Bill 5 would allow the provincial government to create “special economic zones” where “trusted proponents” and “designated projects” could be exempted from all provincial and municipal laws—these include (but are not limited to) labour laws that make workplaces safe, health and safety laws, traffic and speeding laws, environmental laws, or even simple by-laws (like preventing trespassing on private property). Part of what is most concerning about the terms “trusted proponents”, “designated projects”, and “special economic zones” used throughout the bill is that they are “not defined in the Act and are left entirely to Cabinet’s discretion” (Canadian Civil Liberties Association). This means that the potential for misuse, favouritism, and/or conflict of interest is high because there are no actual safeguards for what these terms might entail. In sum, if the provincial government decides that someone is a “trusted proponent” then their project can bypass all provincial and municipal laws to be completed. There appears to be no limits, consequences, or accountability written within the proposed legislation.
Bill 5 would also repeal Ontario's Endangered Species Act, ending meaningful protections for endangered and threatened species. Decisions about which species are endangered or threatened would be made by government cabinet ministers, not independent experts. This includes development in places like the greenbelt, the escarpment, and other areas that are significant for our local environment (such as the Grimsby wetlands).
Bill 5 was proposed on April 17, ordered for second reading on April 29 (a day after the federal election), and referred to Standing Committee on May 6—meaning it has been proposed and pushed through incredibly quickly and with little to no time for the public to comment on legislation that has huge implications for communities. The speed of this progression alone makes it seem like the provincial government is trying to pull a fast one on its citizens and that doesn’t sit right with me.

I’m sure we all agree that it is important to continue growing Ontario’s economy, but I hope we can also agree that it is troubling to propose legislation that will allow specific individuals/companies to pursue development projects with no say from experts or the communities who live in those areas. No one person (or company) should be able to bypass any and all laws to pursue a building project. Our workers deserve to be kept safe on the job and our communities deserve the opportunity to give feedback on how their towns are developed."

I am deeply concerned about the environmental damage this Bill could cause. I am also troubled that the First Nations who would be impacted have not been consulted. I don't want, a few years down the road, to be grieving irreversible environmental damage and damage to our indigenous communities once again.

Please do not move forward with this Bill.