I am absolutely and…

I am absolutely and fundamentally opposed to any over-arching legislation that enables anyone (government, municipality, individuals) to act in opposition to or to ignore important laws passed by the Legislature of Ontario WITH THE SUPPORT OF ONTARIANS.

To determine piecemeal or partial exemptions based on commercial criteria is NOT acceptable. This government was not elected to override Ontario's laws protecting the environment, our water security and supply, our labour laws, or our childcare laws.

In addition, this proposed legislation has emerged with unseemly haste and completely without the far-reaching public AND EXPERT CONSULTATION that it absolutely requires.

The OFB by-law proposal should be withdrawn. Under no circumstances should this ad hoc accumulation of corporate permissions be allowed to override:

* The Clean Water Act, the Great Lakes Protection Act, the Green Belt Act, the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, the Metrolinx Act, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, the Ontario Planning and Development Act and the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act.

• Approval to work in excess of the maximum weekly hours of work without approval of the Director of Employment

• Approval to average hours of work to determine overtime pay without the approval of the Director of Employment

Bill 66 should NOT alter current labour designations for employees of local boards, school boards, hospitals, colleges, universities and public bodies

• All current bargaining rights and all applicable collective agreements for municipalities and certain local boards, school boards, hospitals, colleges, universities and public bodies would cease to apply. Employees and their unions would no longer have their current designations as part of the construction industry, and all collective bargaining agreements would cease to apply.

In addition, Bill 66 (an omnibus bill) contains changes to the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014 that leave children seriously at risk, according to childcare experts.

The proposed legislative change would apply to both the licensed and unlicensed settings. (Licensed home child care is heavily regulated but licensed agencies run only a small proportion of total home child care. ) The following are COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

• Care providers would be allowed to care for three children instead of two children under age two, and up to six children under the age of 13 (or up to five children in the case of unlicensed providers).

• Rules around the age of a care provider’s own children would also change: right now, the provider’s children are not counted towards the maximum number of children allowed in the home if they are aged six or older.

• Any children of providers aged four and older would not be included in the count of total children in care. The new legislation also allows two caregivers to work together to care for double the number of children.