Proposed changes to home…

Proposed changes to home-based childcare regulations fail to truly address the need for affordable quality childcare spaces in Ontario. I believe that these changes will not have the intended effect.

The public reporting aspect of the Ontario Toxics Reduction Program empowers consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in relation to substances of concern. Making this documentation available on the internet is not redundant concerning the Federal Chemicals Management Plan and should therefore not be repealed with the intent of reducing redundancy. Furthermore, other aspects of the program, such as those empowering provincial officers to inspect facilities and acts relating specifically to Ontario's interests (particularly involving clean water), are safeguards not provided by the Federal Chemicals Management Plan for which repealing has no established purpose. These safeguards allow the province to make decisions regarding the safe or reduced use of toxic substances more quickly than the federal government is able to and on a scale most relevant to Ontario residents, ensuring that environmental protections are maintained in an ever-changing commercial world. Finally, the generation of internal reports on toxic substances provide an opportunity for employees to educate themselves on the substances with which they work and the risks they pose to the environment. Employees who do not understand regulations are more likely to see them as hampering their work and are less likely to obey them. Internal reporting also forces businesses, though they may ignore the recommendations they make, to consider methods of reducing the production of toxic substances. If I were to approve the repealing of this regulation, I would like to see evidence that internal reporting has no significant effect on businesses choices regarding reducing the production of toxic materials.

Regarding Municipal Affairs and Housing, I am loathe to allow any loopholes in acts intended to protect the single greatest resource that Ontario has to offer: fresh water. The short-term benefits of allowing municipalities to circumvent the Clean Water Act, the Great Lakes Act, and the protections surrounding the Green Belt and Oak Ridges Moraine are far outweighed by the potential for long-term consequences of damaging water reservoirs and the environment surrounding them. Unless provided with strict policies ensuring that water will still be protected sufficiently despite construction interests, I cannot approve of the proposed open-for-business planning tool.