In My Opinion: With Bill 5, the Ford government is trying to change the rules of democracy
By MARY-MARGARET McMAHON
MPP, BEACHES-EAST YORK
Days after I and the other 123 MPPs came together at Queen’s Park for the 44th Parliament on April 14, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 5 which proposes changes that are an assault on land, wildlife, and human rights.
Bill 5 went to second reading last week and I voted against it. If passed, Bill 5 would dramatically threaten environmental protections and imbue the provincial government with discretionary power to override and ignore scientific evidence, public consultation, environmental assessments, and Indigenous rights as they apply to mining, species at risk, developments, and waste disposal.
Bill 5 is an omnibus bill that interferes with the purpose and in some cases, completely negates the existence of legislation. The bill, titled Unleashing Ontario’s Economic Potential Act, ignores Indigenous expertise, pulverizes environmental protections, slashes regulatory oversight, terminates the rights of citizens to have a say in what happens to their communities, and promotes unfettered miningm and industrial development, ALL at ministerial discretion.
This bill fundamentally places money and power at the centre of all decisions that its invasive arms can reach. Premier Doug Ford’s provincial government is leveraging (President Donald) Trump’s tariffs as an excuse to rewrite the rules of democracy, science, and public accountability; and in a definitively hypocritical move becomes the beast he is fighting!
While actively resisting the overreaching, intrusive, and unconstitutional actions of Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation, the Ontario government has adopted some of its ways.
The provincial government is following the United States’ lead when it comes to slashing environmental protections, tunnel vision building, and autocratic decisions with a bill that imbues ministers with the power to overrule the scientific committee’s submissions of Species at Risk and in need of protection and appoint ‘Special Economic Zones’ that are granted access to bypass all permits and assessments that would give environmental and community consideration.
We are certainly in an affordability crisis, where people are unhoused, young people cannot and may never be able to afford a home, there is a painful choice between groceries and medication, and families are leaving our beautiful province seeking a life they can afford.
Premier Ford could have used this moment as an opportunity to sustainably protect Ontario’s economy by building resilient supply chains, investing in clean technology, and strengthening local industries.
Instead, he’s treating Ontario’s ecosystems, communities, and democratic institutions like obstacles to be cleared. We are ALL red tape!
The false notion that environmental protections and community consultation; and economic growth are dichotomous goals is exactly that, FALSE.
Leading centres for innovation and experts in the field are working on developing a clear path toward facilitating a complementary relationship between economic growth and environmental protections, but it requires a change now…one which I would enthusiastically commit to collaborating on with the government.
I am hopeful that my passionate critiques expressed at every opportunity are used as a starting point for this goal. Additionally, my hope is that when the provincial government hears again from the good residents of Ontario how up in arms they are about this destructive bill, they will come to their senses and retract it! Greenbelt Round #2.
Betrayal, shock, destructive, dismay, failure, dangerous: these are a few of the words that constituents across ridings, especially beautiful Beaches-East York, have chosen to describe their feelings and thoughts around Bill 5.
Premier Ford claimed that his government during the 44th Parliament would be a government for the people.
Well, these are the people. And they are NOT happy about this bill.
