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FORUM: Primary health, environment, education each suffer under Ford  (May/June 2025)

July 10th, 2025 · No Comments

Bill 5, Bill 11, and new provincial budget paint a worrying path forward

By Jessica Bell

From the environment to education, there’s currently a lot we’re debating in the legislature. Here is a roundup of what’s happening at Queen’s Park. 

Bill 5 puts Indigenous rights and environmental protections at risk

Earlier this month, the government introduced Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025. This is a sweeping omnibus bill that makes major changes to Ontario’s environmental laws, heritage protections, Indigenous consultation, and more.  

 The government is talking up parts of the bill that aim to speed up the construction of mines, highways, and other major infrastructure, but there’s a lot more in this 229-page bill than that.  

The bill undermines the Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate First Nations and allows the government to designate “trusted proponents” and delegate responsibilities to them, including regulatory approvals.   

While the duty to consult is not explicitly handed off in law, the structure of the bill sets up a process where developers may be given lead responsibility for coordinating key project elements without meaningful Indigenous engagement.   

This raises serious concerns about the Crown’s responsibility to consult and accommodate, and it takes us one step further away from securing free, prior, and informed consent from Indigenous communities before a project can proceed on their traditional territory.  

The bill fundamentally weakens Ontario’s endangered species protections by repealing the Endangered Species Act and replacing it with a new “Species Conservation Act.”   

 Under the new rules, the definition of “habitat” would be narrowed to just a nest or den and the area right around it, instead of the full environment a species needs to survive. The government would no longer be required to create recovery plans for species in danger.  

And instead of leaving protection decisions to scientists, the new law gives more power to politicians to decide which species are protected and which are not. Environmental experts say this is the biggest rollback of species protections in nearly 20 years. 

The bill also creates Special Economic Zones that give the government sweeping powers to override municipal bylaws, environmental rules, and even provincial legislation to fast-track projects. 

The government can create these zones anywhere they want and any projects inside them can skip the usual approval process including environmental reviews and public consultations. 

The legislation could be used to accelerate development at places like Ontario Place, bypassing environmental safeguards and community input.  I want to hear your thoughts on this bill. Please contact my office. Our contact information is at the end of this piece. 

Primary care expansion is coming, but who is missing out? 

On May 5, the government introduced Bill 11, the More Convenient Care Act, 2025 to define what Ontarians should expect from primary care. The bill outlines goals like the right to a primary care provider, timely access to care, and teams-based care that meets local needs. We are supporting this bill. To address the acute shortage of primary care in select postal codes (and some of these postal codes are in University-Rosedale), the government has asked health-care providers to apply to expand their primary care operations to help attach people to a primary care provider. 

While these are very good steps, the funding commitment falls well short of ensuring the 2.3 million people without a family doctor actually get one. Health-care providers are also concerned that this funding can’t be applied to top up wages to keep and recruit nurses, social workers, and other support staff.  We are also concerned about the challenges faced by existing patients, because the new funding available to health-care providers can only be used for new patients.  

Why won’t the government invest in our public education? 

The Toronto District School Board is looking at making major cuts to schools because of chronic underfunding by the province. The board is currently looking at closing nearly half its swimming pools and axing music programs, and there are huge funding gaps in special education and mental health. 

On May 8, I asked the Minister of Education a simple question. Can this government commit to reinvesting that $1,500 per student back into our schools so our kids can see improvements in the classroom?  He didn’t answer the question. 

Since the Conservatives came to power in 2018, schools in Ontario have lost about $1,500 per student when adjusted for inflation. We need to turn this around.    

Over the last few months, I’ve spoken with many parents, teachers, and students who are deeply worried about what’s happening in our schools. 

From overcrowded classrooms to the loss of special education support, it’s clear that chronic underfunding is taking a toll on our kids’ learning and well-being. 

Parents do not want this government to play political blame games with the school board. They want their kids to get a good public-school education, and that requires investment. 

Please reach out to our offices if you’d like to request a meeting, invite us to an event, or want to work or volunteer with us.   

Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Shadow Minister for Finance and the Treasury Board. You can reach her office at jbell-co@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.

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Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion