As a physician working with…

As a physician working with individuals and families, I know that it is difficult to predict fully all the potential impacts of any legislation. That said, I am concerned about the removal of regulatory oversight in areas that affect public health, such as toxicity, water and air quality, and the workplace environment (physical and social).

Local communities are hard-hit by poor, unaffordable, inflated housing markets, as well as precariousness of employment and low pay. The response to these crises needs to include an informed and democratically-involved community, where impacts are local in nature. Government must serve as a check on uncontrolled exploitation for profit at the expense of mental and physical health. Our children need to be a priority, and child care must be overseen to ensure the appropriate ration of caregiver to child.

As I read it, the legislation dismantles some critical protections for the Ontarians who are scrambling to provide for their families, as well as those struggling to maintain a life and escape a precarious and stressful life situation.