Speaker, through you to the Premier: Yesterday, in a move no one asked for or recommended, this government, with absolutely no consultation, tabled a bill that would allow them to appoint regional chairs in Niagara, York and Peel. Just four years ago, in the middle of the municipal election campaign, this government cancelled regional chair elections in these regions—elections in which citizens were electing their chairs-at-large. They didn’t trust citizens with free and fair elections. Now they don’t even trust democratically elected councillors to choose a chair. Now the Premier is going to hand-pick who he wants to rule in his stead, as he hands them additional powers to do his bidding.

Why is the Premier showing such disdain for municipalities and turning local democracy into his own personal sandbox?

It’s absolutely ludicrous that at a time when he is failing education workers and children, pediatric ICUs are over capacity and we’re in an affordable housing crisis, this Premier is laser-focused on autocratic changes to municipal government.

The Premier isn’t just appointing elected positions; he’s also expanding strong-mayor powers to allow for minority rule while removing environmental protections and gutting conservation authorities.

Here’s what AMO said about the government’s recent housing bill: “The province has offered no evidence that the radical elements of the bill will improve housing affordability. It is more likely that the bill will enhance the profitability of the development industry at the expense of taxpayers and the natural environment.” That’s AMO, who were not even invited to the Bill 23 hearings that the government just shut down this morning.

Speaker, will the Premier admit that he sees municipalities and local democracy as nothing more than a delivery system for his decisions and a way to shop around farmland and green space to his wealthy friends?