BURCH: Local democracy should not be rewritten at midnight

NIAGARA – Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Municipal Affairs, Jeff Burch, says the Ford government is once again pulling a cheap shot on Ontarians by using late-night sittings to force through major changes to local democracy while most people are asleep.

“People should be asking themselves why this government always seems to pass its most controversial legislation in the middle of the night,” said Burch. “Whether it’s tearing apart FOI laws or giving sweeping powers to unelected regional chairs, Ford keeps trying to rush things through before the public has a chance to see what’s really happening.”

The changes would hand more power to appointed regional chairs, including control over budgets, senior staff, and the ability to push through decisions with less oversight from local councils.

“These are major changes that will directly impact our communities, yet the government is giving people little to no opportunity to weigh in,” said Burch. “Local democracy should not be rewritten during midnight sittings at Queen’s Park.”

“Local decisions should be made by the people who live here and elect their representatives, not dictated by Queen’s Park.”