Processes that ensure…

Processes that ensure environmental safety and Indigenous rights are not “red tape.” I want to live in a province that has robust, clear, predictable, participatory environmental assessment processes that take context and complexity into consideration.

It is very backward and shortsighted to ignore the importance of rigorous environmental protection now given growing awareness of the many costs of environmental degradation. We must also recognize the growing movement for Indigenous justice and for the right to free, prior, and informed consent. It is clear that projects that do not respect Indigenous rights will justifiably face resistance and delays - they are unjust and increasingly they are bad investments.

I think this government knows that people in Ontario do not support regulatory shortcuts that favour business over environmental safety and Indigenous communities. Is this why these changes were in an omnibus bill passed without opportunity for meaningful public input? I would like to remind the government of its obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights which require at least a 30-day consultation for any amendments to the EAA. It is outrageous that the government ignored this legal obligation and insists on omnibus bills and limited debate which prevents adequate public scrutiny and diminishes public involvement in government decision-making.