NDP Is Slamming Ford For Trying To Make It Easier To Pass Laws Without Public Input

Doug Ford is trying to make even more changes in Ontario, and this time, it will pertain to his ability to pass bills as fast as possible. Ford is planning to make it so that his party can put forth a proposal for 50% more night time sittings than is currently allowed in the legislature, making it so that a bill can be passed within two days, or practically overnight. Doug Ford's Ontario legislature changes will also include giving him the ability to go through multiple stages of passing a bill in just one day. The speed with which bills could be passed will give Ontarians as little say as possible in changes that are happening in their province. The NDP will be the only party fighting against Ford's proposed changes, the Toronto Star reports. “As it is, Doug Ford has done his best to prevent the people of Ontario from having any opportunity to weigh in on changes that impact them,” said NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson in a news release.

“With Doug Ford, we see a lot of backroom deals cooked up with insiders, and very little consultation with everyday Ontarians."However, Paul Calandra, the Government House Leader at the House of Commons, has said that "it's just about making the house work better, work smoother," according to CBC. 

Another change that Ford has proposed is one where he will be able to dodge questions during the question period and instead pass the questions off to another minister without a referral.

CBC reports that the PC government can bring the changes forth with a single vote because they have a majority government in Ontario. The Toronto Star reported that the changes have the support of the Liberal, Green and independent members.

New Democrat MPP Sara Singh told the Star that the government “wants to ram through legislation that they haven’t consulted on in the first place in order to pretend that they are getting their jobs done.”The way things stand now is that most major bill changes go through a committee that allows MPPs to invite people from communities to the stage that would be affected by the proposed legislation and to let them have their say, according to CBC. This would change based on the Ford government's proposed plans, which is why the NDP is saying that it is taking power away from Ontarians. 

"I'm disappointed to hear the NDP have decided not to find ways to make the housework better, but that's not going to stop us," Calandra said to the CBC.

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