NDP: Bill 100 rips decision-making out of local hands

NIAGARA – Ontario MPPs Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) and Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines), say Bill 100 is a direct attack on local democracy and are calling on the Ford government to hold public hearings across Ontario before moving forward.

“Let me be clear, the last thing Niagara needs is more meddling from the Premier’s office. Local voices matter, and decisions should be made in our communities, not imposed from Queen’s Park,” said Gates. “Another hand-picked appointment from the Premier, with no democratic mandate and the power to override locally elected mayors, is the wrong decision, plain and simple. I trust Niagara residents to make their own decisions.”

Stevens said the bill concentrates too much power in one office and raises serious concerns about accountability.

“Bill 100 is being pushed through without meaningful consultation, and people in Niagara deserve a say in decisions that affect their communities,” said Stevens. “Municipalities are already stretched thin, and giving more power to one unelected regional chair, without proper checks and balances only makes the situation worse.”

Both MPPs say the government is forcing through sweeping changes that will reshape how decisions are made at the local level which risks weakening accountability and public trust. They say changes of this large of a scale cannot be pushed through from Queen’s Park alone and are calling on the government to step back and give people across Ontario a real opportunity to weigh in before anything moves forward.