The duty to consult…

The duty to consult obligations being fulfilled under this act or any part of Bill 5 is laughable. Several communities have stated on the record that they feel they are being told what is to happen, rather than being consulted and making decisions collaboratively on their land. Consultation does not occur in a hotel ballroom with five sessions across Ontario, and then count as a box the ministry can then check off. "Where it arises, Ontario is committed to fulfilling its duty to consult." This line shows the government's fundamental misunderstanding of this land's history; it's all Native land, whether it is under treaty or not.

With various scandals, including Therme, it is clear that this government shows an incredible lack of oversight and care. How much will proponents have to pay to be considered trusted? Whose weddings must they attend? First Nation communities have been and continue to be exploited, which makes them unlikely to trust or work with anyone on their lands who has been dropped in.

When workers' rights and environmental rights have been stripped down, making an act to sidestep them further is embarrassing. If the project is reasonable and necessary, it should also be economically viable without government-sanctioned pardons.

A northern First Nation employs me, and I have attended all info sessions on the various acts under Bill 5. At every session, filled with First Nations communities and their representatives, thoughtful and insightful questions have been asked. At best, there has been some answer, 60% of the time. It seems there is no rational reason for this act other than corporate greed. All other logic falls apart when viewing this set of regulations through the lens of what benefits Ontarians or the environment we rely on.
When northern areas of the province are experiencing climate change faster than the rest of Ontario in new and unpredictable ways, creating a policy that will further harm our natural environment is inexcusable poor judgment. All of the acts of Bill 5 sell Ontario, and especially the north, piece by piece to people who will not have to bear the consequences of their actions.