The hangover after the honeymoon

Ford's next headache

Presented by One Step Forward

ABOVE THE FOLD

It’s a classic post-election move: pass the controversial stuff quick while the next campaign is still a blip on the horizon.

For the Ford government’s third mandate, that hot-potato policy seems to be Bill 5, for which the PCs are catching flak from pretty much all sides, including environmental groups, Indigenous leaders, municipal officials, Oppo critics and civil rights advocates.

And the powers-that-be are about to get another earful this morning: Bill 5 is front and centre at committee, where stakeholders and the public will get a chance to weigh in on the legislation that the government says speeds up mining approvals, but that critics warn will give cabinet sweeping powers to override local laws and gut endangered species protections.

It’s fast becoming Premier DOUG FORD’s next political headache and threatens to overshadow the early(ish) days of the PCs fresh mandate. Case in point: Dozens of written submissions have poured into the…