<html><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div><div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class="ApplePlainTextBody" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-caps: normal;"><tbody><tr><td width="550"><div class="row" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: -15px; margin-left: -15px;"><div class="tsArticleContainer star true" data-length="19" data-lpos="asset|body" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Merriweather Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div id="asset-content" data-asset-uuid="9a3d3004-203f-599b-a843-db78b620293c" class="tsArticle" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; margin-top: 24px;"><div class="asset-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 690px; padding: 0px; max-width: 100%; margin: 0px auto; position: relative !important;"><div class="article-pe-author-detail-container" data-lpos="asset|header" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; row-gap: 16px; align-items: center; flex-wrap: nowrap; margin-bottom: 24px; line-height: 20px;"><div class="articlePublication" data-section="publications/toronto_star" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-basis: auto; flex-shrink: 0; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; margin-right: 16px;"></div><div class="authorList list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span class="tnt-byline" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="leadin" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By </span>David Crombie, John Sewell, Barbara Hall, Anne Golden and Ken Greenberg Contributors</span><div id="authorBios" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; color: rgb(104, 104, 104); line-height: 20px; font-weight: 400; font-family: var(--font-daily-sans); letter-spacing: normal;">David Crombie, Barbara Hall and John Sewell are former Mayors of Toronto. Anne Golden was the CEO of the Conference Board of Canada. Ken Greenberg is a renowned urban designer.</div></div></div></div><div id="tncms-region-article_body_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div id="article-body" data-tier="1" itemprop="articleBody" class="asset-content subscriber-premium" data-lpos="asset|body" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="subscriber-preview" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;">Shortly after 4 p.m. on June 4, Ontario took a sharp turn away from democracy. <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-pushes-through-rapid-development-law-despite-objections-of-first-nations/article_356863ce-8fa1-475c-ae4b-114127a97990.html" target="_blank" data-mrf-link="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-pushes-through-rapid-development-law-despite-objections-of-first-nations/article_356863ce-8fa1-475c-ae4b-114127a97990.html" cmp-ltrk="rc:article-body" cmp-ltrk-idx="10" mrfobservableid="b4c6c722-ba83-4e7d-8ee8-7c2d0c931ed5" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) !important; transition: background-color 0.25s linear !important;">That’s when Bill 5</a>, ironically titled the “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act,” became law.</p></div><div class="subscriber-preview" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Marketed as a way to protect jobs and respond to <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/donald-trump/" target="_blank" data-mrf-link="https://www.thestar.com/news/donald-trump/" cmp-ltrk="rc:article-body" cmp-ltrk-idx="11" mrfobservableid="015d4644-8bb1-4948-a5eb-8d0817faf129" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none;">Trump</a>-era tariffs, this legislation quietly hands Premier <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/doug-ford/" target="_blank" data-mrf-link="https://www.thestar.com/news/doug-ford/" cmp-ltrk="rc:article-body" cmp-ltrk-idx="12" mrfobservableid="fb5cd881-65ff-4285-8eab-357ee21d5fa9" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none;">Doug Ford</a> and his cabinet sweeping new powers. In a paradoxical twist, the premier has adopted elements of the Trump playbook — consolidating power, overriding laws and sidelining oversight — all while claiming to be protecting Ontario from Trump-style politics.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Let’s be clear: no one is claiming that Premier Ford <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">is</em> Trump. But Bill 5 echoes tactics associated with Trumpism — the centralization of authority, the bypassing of laws and norms, and the creation of opaque zones of exception. These are not just procedural changes. They represent a profound shift in how power operates in Ontario.</span></p></div><div id="tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print tsArticleRegion" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;"><div id="tncms-block-3428487" class="tncms-block" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Most Ontarians likely haven’t heard much about Bill 5 — thanks to slick messaging from the premier’s office. The limited coverage has <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/ford-government-denies-bill-to-speed-up-development-will-override-environmental-and-indigenous-concerns/article_dd5ab1a2-8b13-407d-bfce-bb8e9baee56c.html" target="_blank" data-mrf-link="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/ford-government-denies-bill-to-speed-up-development-will-override-environmental-and-indigenous-concerns/article_dd5ab1a2-8b13-407d-bfce-bb8e9baee56c.html" cmp-ltrk="rc:article-body" cmp-ltrk-idx="15" mrfobservableid="eebf8ed9-364e-45aa-8878-2ead80278e7f" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none;">mostly focused on opposition from First Nations leaders</a>. But behind that, something more fundamental has changed. Ontarians have just lost core democratic protections — and few realize it.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Here’s what the bill actually does: it lets the premier designate any piece of land in Ontario a “special economic zone.” Inside that zone, Ford and his cabinet can override any provincial law — environmental, labour, planning — you name it. They can then invite businesses to operate on terms they alone define. In effect, cabinet gets to pick which laws apply, to whom and where.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">That’s not red tape reduction. That’s rule-of-law suspension.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ford insists the bill is a necessary economic weapon against U.S. protectionism. He claims that cutting through bureaucracy will boost investment and jobs. But let’s be honest: this isn’t just about economic competitiveness. It’s about centralizing power and removing constraints. And while regulatory systems often need reform, wholesale demolition isn’t the answer. Improving laws is one thing; giving cabinet the power to selectively discard them is something else entirely.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Until June 4, Ontario had a system designed to ensure no one — not even the premier — was above the law. Our legal frameworks were meant to apply equally. But with Bill 5, that principle is shattered. The premier now has the tools to govern by exception.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">What could go wrong? Consider this: a politically connected developer wants to build on environmentally sensitive land. Community members oppose it. Laws protect it. But now, the premier can designate it a “special economic zone,” sidestep those laws and green light the project. There is no public appeal. No independent review.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Or worse: suppose the government wants to target an individual or group it disfavours. With Bill 5, it could declare their property a special zone and strip away tenant protections, land use rights, or other safeguards.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Or just as bad: the premier could use Bill 5 to impose his pet projects wherever he pleases — our parks, cottage country, conservation areas, even the Greenbelt.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">This is not hypothetical. Ford has a pattern: <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-extending-strong-mayor-powers-to-169-smaller-municipalities-to-expedite-housing-construction/article_f20ddb16-ae11-4792-8a21-3ee099e9928d.html" target="_blank" data-mrf-link="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-extending-strong-mayor-powers-to-169-smaller-municipalities-to-expedite-housing-construction/article_f20ddb16-ae11-4792-8a21-3ee099e9928d.html" cmp-ltrk="rc:article-body" cmp-ltrk-idx="18" mrfobservableid="e7f5692c-9aaa-44b8-bb6f-3321818251a6" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none;">he instituted “strong mayor” powers</a> that allow mayors to ignore their councils. He routinely uses ministerial zoning orders (MZOs). Just last month, he signalled interest in allowing ministers to override provincial planning laws at will.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">With each move, checks and balances are chipped away. Trust us, they say — we won’t misuse these powers. But democracy doesn’t rely on trusting the people in power. It relies on limits to power — on clear rules, transparent processes and institutions strong enough to say no.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">No premier — however popular or persuasive — should be allowed to choose which laws apply and to whom. Because once the precedent is set, it will outlast the government that set it.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ontarians who care about democracy can’t afford to stay silent. If we don’t speak up now, we may not have the tools to do so later.</span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Doug Ford is not Donald Trump. But in adopting some of the same governing tactics — concentrating power, circumventing laws and undermining public protections — he is veering into dangerous territory. </span></p></div><div class="subscriber-only" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; font-family: var(--font-daily-text); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ontario doesn’t need a strongman to stand up to Trump. It needs strong democratic institutions. Bill 5 is a giant step in the wrong direction and must be repealed. Let’s not pretend otherwise.</span></p></div><div id="tncms-region-article_bottom_content" class="tncms-region hidden-print" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;"></div></div><aside class="related-sidebar subscriber-hide" data-lpos="asset|related-links" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 40px;"><div id="tncms-region-article_aside_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div id="tncms-region-article_aside_bottom" class="tncms-region hidden-print" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div></aside><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td width="550" align="left"><div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; max-width: 550px; width: 550px; margin: 0px auto;"><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="right" style="height: 20px;"><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "SF Pro Text", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Inter, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; list-style: none; text-decoration: unset; margin: 0px;"><div style="list-style: none; text-align: right; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: unset; margin: 0px;"><span style="list-style: none; text-decoration: unset; margin: 0px;">Forwarded this email? <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jaGFybGllYW5ndXMuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91dG1fc291cmNlPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1lbWFpbC1zdWJzY3JpYmUmcj0yaGk1angmbmV4dD1odHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmNoYXJsaWVhbmd1cy5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20lMkZwJTJGZ3JhbmRtb3RoZXJzLWFyZS1vbi10aGUtbW92ZSIsInAiOjE2NTkwMjU5NiwicyI6Mjk0NjA5MiwiZiI6ZmFsc2UsInUiOjE1MDMzMjgyOSwiaWF0IjoxNzUwMDc1NzE1LCJleHAiOjE3NTI2Njc3MTUsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0wIiwic3ViIjoibGluay1yZWRpcmVjdCJ9.bqgtcZbCV-sqMUIad2mOuE3o2n2Ek3_2NsUab436k6w?" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank" style="list-style: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px;">Subscribe here</a> for more</span></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="padding: 32px 0px 0px; line-height: 26px;"><div role="region" aria-label="Post header" style="line-height: 26px;"><h1 style="color: rgb(54, 55, 55); font-family: "SF Pro Display", -apple-system-headline, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; margin: 0px; line-height: 36px; font-size: 32px;"><br></h1></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><br></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>