I am very concerned about…

I am very concerned about the Special Economic Zones Act, 2025 (Bill 5) which gives the Ontario government sweeping powers to override environmental protections, exempt hand-picked companies from laws, and sideline Indigenous voices within “Special Economic Zones” (SEZs) — in the name of “economic growth”.
The Ford government’s plan benefits hand-picked “trusted proponents”, while putting Ontarians’ health, safety, and democracy at risk.

Because the Ontario government would have the power to do the following,

1. declare SEZs anywhere in Ontario if Cabinet believes that area is “economically significant or strategically important” and “no larger than necessary”.

2. handpick "trusted proponents by the Minister with no independent checks. Whether they have a good record on environmental compliance is entirely “in the opinion of the Minister”.

3. Designate projects within SEZs that are only required to consider health and environmental risks. There’s no requirement to ensure that risk mitigation strategies actually work, and no independent oversight.

4. Ignore clear feedback from Indigenous communities. The draft regulation contains no mechanism to affirm Indigenous rights or consultation requirements,

I am calling on the government to strengthen — not weaken — Ontario’s environmental safeguards
Ontario’s environment and communities deserve better. The Special Economic Zones framework leaves our province’s air, land, and water at the mercy of political discretion — not the law.

Thank you for considering my strong concerns regarding Bill 5.