As a resident of Ontario and…

As a resident of Ontario and a Canadian citizen, I wish to register my strong objections to the proposed Special Economic Zones Act, 2025. This bill is an appalling attack on our environment and on the rights of people of Ontario to transparent and accountable government decision-making.

Pushing forward projects by exempting them from laws and regulations is actively against the interests of the public. It increases the likelihood of profound environmental harm and health hazards for surrounding communities. It is important that projects - especially in industries such as mining which have such clearly and repeatedly demonstrated potential for harm - go through rigorous and transparent vetting to get permits, and that process should not be eroded or sped up in any way.

In addition, this proposal does not even define what "vetted projects"or "trusted proponents" would be, or what public participation would exist for determining it.

This is merely an unabashed endorsement of private interests, at the cost of any legal requirement to consider the interests of the public, communities, nature and health. Rather than protecting the people of Ontario, the Ontario government is attempting to enable corporations to bypass labour and environmental laws.