It does not make any sense…

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013-4293

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18392

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It does not make any sense for a provincial government to cede control to municipalities for shared resources. The whole point of environmental legislation being provincial is to allow unified standards across municipalities. If nothing else it contradicts the point of competition. Competition requires a level playing field and not one where water and other shared resources can be utilized differently by different groups. Possible results could include cleanup costs to maintain access to a current resource or Walkerton type disasters. If these are to avoided it will require increased taxes to support municipal coordination for something properly held under provincial control. Or increased legal costs to fight detrimental actions by other municipalities in court. None of this would improve competition long term.

Further, it makes no sense to change this type of law this way. Individual municipalities should not be in the position where they can choose competition over the environment. If environmental laws need revision then they should be revised in the context of environmental need and not municipal competition. If you think the environmental laws are wrong you don't change them by passing responsibility to a lower level, less able level of government. Govern responsibly by putting the changes you think are required up through a reasonable process.

Please! Remove Schedule 10 from Bill 66, which allows municipalities to override provisions in the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act, Lake Simcoe Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Great Lakes Protection Act.