NDP: Conservatives' Mining Act changes risk the future of mining, reconciliation, and our environment

QUEEN'S PARK - New Democrats are concerned about two critical issues with the Conservatives’ Bill 71, the party says as the Ford Conservatives passed their problematic Bill, the Building More Mines Act.

Bill 71 weakens environmental protections and makes it easier for the Conservatives to ignore the rights of First Nations – a recipe for conflict and, with it, risks that important mining projects will be delayed or outright cancelled.

“Ford's Conservatives are risking critical projects and the jobs they create, disrespecting First Nations' rights, and endangering our environment," NDP Critic for Mining, Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay) said. "The Ontario NDP introduced 20 motions to help fix the massive problems in this bill, especially with respect to First Nations rights, and the government voted down every single one."

"The Ontario NDP believes that mining is important," said West. "We want to see projects here that help power the world and help our transition to a more sustainable planet. The mining industry brought my parents to Sudbury, and it put food on the table for my family for 17 years before I was elected. Our objective is the same as Ontario’s mining companies: to protect the environment, safeguard First Nations' rights and ensure a respectful nation-to-nation relationship. Bill 71 neglects all these major concerns."

Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong), NDP Critic for Northern Development and Indigenous and Treaty Relations, and Labour Critic Jamie West (Sudbury) have extensively engaged with First Nations and community members across Northern Ontario regarding Bill 71. Discussions revealed a pressing need for meaningful engagement in development projects in affected territories. The absence of a consistent consultation framework emerged as a significant obstacle in pushing projects forward.

"Compromising the health of our lands and waters for future generations is not an option, and weakening rehabilitation standards is unacceptable," affirmed Mamakwa. "Free, prior, and informed consent from the affected First Nations and environmental protections are cornerstones to the success of any Ontario mining project. Unfortunately, Bill 71 weakened environmental protections and ignored the need for free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations."

"We have one chance to get this right so that Ontario can continue to lead the world in sustainable mining," Bourgouin said. "We offered important solutions to help solve the Conservatives' problems, and they turned their back on every single one."