Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the very important proposed amendments to the Endangered Species Act, 2007.
I care deeply about conservation and the environment. As such, I believe, unfortunately, that the proposals are inconsistent with the track record of previous Conservative governments. For example, past Conservative governments demonstrated leadership in protecting the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine, as well as the Lands for Life program.
I'm very concerned that the government chose to unveil sweeping changes to the ESA in its omnibus housing bill, Bill 108, the "More Homes, More Choice Act." This is really an inappropriate way to facilitate discussion on a significant conservation issue that surely deserves to be evaluated on its own. In fact, at a time when the United Nations recently released a report warning that more than one million species are facing extinction over the next decade, a responsible government should strive to strengthen the ESA.
Instead, the proposals threaten to weaken the ESA in many significant areas. I fully share the concerns being raised by numerous, responsible conservation and environmental organizations in Ontario about the implications of the proposal amendments.
The list of damaging changes has rightly been described by Ontario Nature, for example, as long and wide-ranging. I'm uncomfortable that the Environment Minister would have broad discretion to interfere with the science-based listing process, to suspect and limit protections, and to ignore legislated timelines for policies and reporting.
I'm also opposed to the creation of a Species at Risk Conservation Trust, where developers and industries could pay into a fund in lieu of fulfilling requirements for on-the-ground reparation for the damage they inflict on species and their habitats.
These developers should be making their projects greener by accommodating vulnerable species. There is too great a risk that developers would use the trust to dodge their responsibility to reduce activities detrimental to the environment.
The proposal to assess species on the full extent of their range, rather than the status of a species in Ontario, is likewise very concerning. It could well mean that species near the edge of their range in Ontario would lose their protection in law. This would be especially disturbing in the face of climate change, since healthy species populations are needed at their northern limits to help species adapt to changing climactic conditions.
I am really concerned about the overall direction of the amendments. In my view, which many Ontarians share, the proposals amount to an ill-considered watering down of essential legislation to protect endangered and vulnerable Ontario species such as boreal caribou, barn owls, most of our turtles, and more.
I urge the government to remove Schedule 5 in its entirety from Bill 108 and allow for extensive public consultation. The ESA has established a high standard since it was first introduced. It is incumbent upon the government to ensure it will be part of the solution to protecting already threatened species, rather than part of the problem.
Thank you.