Special Economic Zones …

Special Economic Zones (Schedule 9 in Bill 5) must not be enacted.

I understand that there is a perceived and real threat from the United States tariffs and threats of annexation. Which are made all the more troubling because the US is beginning to behave like a dictatorship, with civil rights being eroded.

It makes no sense to respond by degrading our own democracy. Bill 5 will degrade our democracy. Bill 5 must not be approved.

This proposal is extreme and anti-democratic as it would allow the premier and cabinet to take full control over decisions that are usually made by the legislature.

Furthermore, by empowering the premier to create special economic zones, “trusted proponents” can be given the authority to undertake projects without regard to provincial municipal laws and bylaws.

Under this schedule the premier and cabinet could decide which provincial and municipal laws would apply to “special economic zones”, the geographic extent of the law’s applicability, and even
the specific individuals and companies to which the law applies.

Schedule 9 provisions enable the premier and cabinet to hand out exemptions to:
● Any person or company they choose, for any purpose whatsoever, regardless of whether
they are actually engaged in any work combating U.S. economic aggression or involved in
any business enterprise at all.
● Any portion of Ontario they choose, including large regions that are home to the largest
concentration of people (e.g. the Greater Golden Horseshoe), or individual residential or
commercial properties (e.g. a car dealership or cottage lot) for any purpose whatsoever.
● Any initiative or project they choose, including those with little to no significance to U.S.
trade barriers.
● Any provincial or municipal law whatsoever (e.g. Planning Act, Environmental Protection Act,
Occupational Health and Safety Act, Highway Traffic Act, and Trespass to Property Act) for
any purpose whatsoever.

It is extremely troubling that this vast amount of power and allowance to disregard the law might be granted.

We have already seen (with the Greenbelt and Ontario Place) that we currently have a premier who likes to make deals with people he knows, and he pioritizes doing that above doing what will serve people.

I urge you to stop Schedule 9 in Bill 5.