Food and Water First
Food Water FirstReaction to Bill 55, Strong Action for Ontario Act
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 12 April 2012 14:16
- Hits: 669
Reaction to Bill 55
The Minister of Finance, Dwight Duncan, tabled for the first reading in the Legislature, Bill 55, "Strong Action for Ontario Act (Budget Measures) 2012". Bill 55 is an omnibus bill amending statutes including:
- Endangered Species Act
- Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
- Public Lands Act
- Crown Forest Sustainability Act
- Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act
This Bill takes away people's right to comment. (Read more about Bill 55)
Reaction to this Bill is starting to come forward.
Ontario Rivers Alliance states:
ORA’s position is that by presenting amendments to these 69 Acts in Budget Bill 55, the government is literally taking away its citizens’ democratic right to comment on the numerous Acts administered under the EBR, by attempting to hide the amendments within an unrelated budget bill which is conveniently exempt from EBR postings and the public consultation process. Linda Heron, Chair of ORA says, “a bold move like this undermines trust and confidence in a government that has been entrusted to represent its citizens and make decisions in our best interests.”
ORA has studied Bill 55, and a recurring statement throughout many of these amendments
"ORA wishes to express grave concerns with the irregular means being used to amend numerous pieces of legislation by attaching the amendments to the budget bill. This appears to be designed to circumvent the normal process of public consultation."
Read entire letter to Premier McGuinty.
More letters will be posted here as they come forward.