RE: Special Economic Zones…

RE:
Special Economic Zones Act, 2025 (ERO number 25-0391)
This Bill 5 and SEZ Act schedule contains much too much discretion, no criteria for designating SEZs, no specificity as to what laws will be exempted, who will be given favoured treatment, nor how democratic and Indigenous rights will be respected in SEZs. To have any hope of acceptability, this needs to be specified in the Bill, not later regulations determined behind closed doors by Cabinet alone. There are no such details, pointing to an ill-considered proposal or one that is easily subject to political and private influence, too reminiscent of the Greenbelt scandal. On all grounds, and to protect this government's reputation, this Bill should be withdrawn and abandoned.

The Bill reacts to a false notion that protecting human health, the environment, Indigenous rights, and citizen roles are problems for economic development. Business thrives when the environment and people are healthy and sustainable. This happens through the assessment and engagement processes in legislation that Ontarians have worked for and relied on over decades. In fact, they are essential to the kind of country and province we want to maintain and that Premier Ford said he would stand up for against President Trump.

We all remember the lessons learned 25 years ago this week, when the Mike Harris government cut back on water testing and was found partly responsible for the Walkerton water crisis. There, the reliance on voluntary measures - like this Bill's "trusted proponents" -- and the lack and non-application of provincial environmental rules led to a crisis and public inquiry that declared that strong legislation and procedures were needed to protect the public. SEZs could lead to leaky landfills, ill-considered developments, and Indigenous protests and court actions, among others. I assume that Premier Ford's government does not want to repeat the Walkerton mistake and endure these issues through this Bill.