Doug Ford is the Premier of Ontario, an obvious Right-Wing Conservative type person who disregards advice and appears to rule the roost. The problem is that most of his decisions benefit his friends and developers friendly to him. Despite this problem being identified by the checks and balance of Parliament he usually ignores their findings.

Examples of this type of Governance is not hard to see – the Ontario Place debacle, the moves to privatise the Health Systems, the Green Belt fiasco and the many MZOs that benefit friendly developers.

His latest adventure into Autocracy to the detriment of the Common Good is – quote from the Chatham Daily News “The introduction of Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025, aimed at improving capacity in the wake of U.S. tariffs. Part of the proposed legislation would revoke Ontario Regulation 284/24 to remove a comprehensive environmental assessment ordered for the proposed landfill expansion in March 2024 by then environment minister Andrea Khanjin. There is fierce opposition to the proposed project from citizens and municipality since details were posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario last year. This new Bill has renewed opposition efforts to overturn the recent Bill.” 

This Bill will not only allow the establishment of the largest Landfill Site in the Province but will change Environmental Protection legislation drastically. In a backgrounder issued by “Environmental Defence Canada” the Opening paragraph says it all: Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, would give Premier Ford and his cabinet unprecedented power over our communities, including powers to dictate who is exempt from the law and who is not.
If passed, Bill 5 would be a direct attack on healthy communities, good planning, clean water and air, species at risk and the rights of Indigenous  people—all to benefit a handful of the government’s hand-picked friends. 

From what I have seen so far, on the interweb-thingy, opposition to Bill 5 has been a call to arms by all of the established Environmental and Heritage organisations in the Province for a vigorous fightback. Read what the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario says about it here. Sign a petition at Change.org here. 

As an individual one can tell the Government just how you feel and leave a comment online by going to the Environmental Registry of Ontario here you have until May 17th.