Ontario PCs to limit debate on controversial Bill 5, among other legislation

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is moving to shut down debate on its most controversial piece of legislation this legislative session.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is moving to shut down debate on its most controversial piece of legislation this session, one of a plethora of bills getting the fast-track treatment before the legislature rises for a summer break.

A mining law known as Bill 5 that would give the government power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects in areas deemed to have economic importance – and remove some endangered species protections – has sparked a lot of opposition.

A legislative committee heard from First Nations leaders and environmental groups, as well as mining groups, over two days and as the committee was considering amendments last week the NDP and Liberals used procedural tools to grind the process to a halt, in protest.

Government house leader Steve Clark is now stepping in to limit further committee time and require the bill to go back to the house for third reading, with just one hour of debate, and a final vote that same day.

While Bill 5 got two days of committee hearings, the six other pieces of legislation the government is speeding up have had no hearings, and will have as little as half an hour of third-reading debate, with just nine minutes each allotted to the two recognized opposition parties.

The opposition parties say pushing bills through without much public consultation or debate is undemocratic.

The NDP’s Opposition house leader, John Vanthof, spoke in a debate last week over the government limiting debate and bypassing committee for four bills – including the budget bill – in what’s called a time allocation motion.

“What’s happening now with the time allocation, specifically on four bills, is removing the right of the people to speak, and in many ways, the opposition to speak,” Vanthof said.