I disagree with the move to…

I disagree with the move to reduce environmental and workplace safety regulations. The improvement to the Ontario economy should not come at the cost of environmental awareness and the safety of labourers.

I disapprove of the Toxic Reductions Act, 2009 being repealed on December 31, 2021, as well as the revocation of its associated regulations.
I also disapprove of the proposed Non-application of listed provision under the Planning Act. This is because they would not hold municipal open for business bylaws accountable to environmental protection regulations.

The Greenbelt is the anchor of smart land-use in southern Ontario and protects almost 2 million acres of farms, natural areas and water sources. Opening it to development will set free rampant land speculation by developers, resulting in a loss of farmland and the disruption of farm communities. And, it will undermine smart growth planning that’s aimed at increasing density to facilitate affordable housing and public transit access.

The Walkerton tragedy occurred due to a lack of protections for our sources of drinking water. Seven people lost their lives. To make sure it never happened again, we developed source water protections but this Bill will give developers a pass on keeping drinking water safe.

New developments would be exempt from drinking water source protection plans, and could be built regardless of their risk to water. They’d be able to do the same for rules that protect our Great Lakes and Lake Simcoe from environmental damage.

Finally, the implementation of the Toxics Reduction Act will be suspended and the law will be later repealed. This Act was enacted in 2009 to prevent pollution by reducing the use of toxic chemicals in industrial sectors, and to help inform Canadians about the presence of toxic substances by labelling consumer products.

The Ontario government has promised early in its mandate to “come down heavy” on polluters. Removing the key law that was designed to help companies reduce their pollution sends the wrong signal to big polluters to continue to dump toxic chemicals into our environment.

I disapprove of the amendment to the Employment Standards Act, 2000
Section 2, in which employers are no longer required to post the poster in the workplace. These regulations ensure that employees are aware of their rights to a healthy and safe work environment.

I also disapprove of the Part VII of the Employment Standards Act being amended to remove the Director’s approval for employers to make agreements that allow their employees to exceed 48 hours of work in a work week.