by Greenpeace
"Ontario Premier Doug Ford is no stranger to using anti-democratic methods to sacrifice the environment at the altar of profit. He’s done it time and again – and while everyone is looking the other way during a public health crisis is as good a moment as any.
In fact, we already took Ford to court for this – and won (the court ruled that Ford broke the law by cancelling the carbon cap-and-trade system without consulting Ontarians). And yet, here we are waiting for our day in court on a second lawsuit against Ford’s government for doing the same thing: failing to consult Ontarians before gutting environmental laws under the cover of COVID
His government wasted no time in the first few months of the pandemic, suspending ALL public consultations on environmental changes, enabling the Ford government to undermine endangered species laws. Even after his government officially reinstated environmental consultations, he has turned to other methods to avoid being accountable to the public.
So what’s the latest controversy now raging under Ford’s relentless ‘open for business’ mantra?
So what’s the latest controversy now raging under Ford’s relentless ‘open for business’ mantra?
The MZO: Ford’s new favorite tool for avoiding accountability
Doug Ford’s government has approved dozens of building projects since April via Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs). An MZO allows Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing to skip the normal approval process and make an executive decision about how a piece of land will be used. So no local planning requirements, no environmental impact assessment, no consultation with citizens – and no recourse to appeal."