A rare moment of unity among Ontario’s opposition parties frustrated the Ford government’s attempts to pass its controversial mining legislation — which would create special economic zones where laws do not apply — in the early moments of Thursday morning.
The province is in the midst of passing Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, which it hopes will speed up mining projects and will also make major changes to the laws governing protected species.
The creation of special economic zones is the part of the legislation which has led to the most backlash — with critics calling it a “power grab.”
On Wednesday, as Bill 5 was subject to a clause-by-clause analysis at a legislative committee, opposition parties united to employ a series of stall, delay and filibuster tactics to try and stop the government from passing the legislation before the spring session ends next week.
The Ontario NDP worked to stack the list of speakers on committee to try to speak for as long as its members could and repeatedly requested breaks. The Liberals tabled the largest number of amendments to the bill.
The parties were aiming to run the clock for as long as possible at the committee hearings to stop the bill from leaving the committee process, where it would return for a final vote and debate before being passed.
Despite a last-minute government motion to have the committee study Bill 5 overnight, sitting until 9 a.m. the next morning, the opposition parties succeeded and proceedings wrapped at midnight.
NDP and Liberal MPPs accused the government of trying to hold its committee “under the cover of darkness” to push through the bill.
The committee is now not likely to meet again until Monday, which would further delay the legislation from returning for debate and its final reading.
MPPs are scheduled to rise for the summer next Thursday, although the government can extend the sitting if it chooses.
House Leader Steve Clark said he was still sure the government could rise on time and pass the legislation.
“I’m confident that we can move forward with the priority government bills in this session,” he said.
“I am confident that I can use the existing calendar to drive the government’s agenda before the end of next week.”