What will the notwithstanding clause be used for next time?

Re: Experts oppose notwithstanding clause use — Sept. 17

Waterloo Region residents might wonder why they should care about the provincial government’s efforts to reduce the number of seats on Toronto city council.

Why is so much time and effort being expended on this, so early in the mandate, when this not only wasn’t an election promise, it wasn’t part of the throne speech on July 12? Why not instead work on issues to benefit all Ontarians?

It’s an expensive waste of tax dollars to try to get this through so quickly, requiring weekend and midnight sittings. How much overtime is being paid? How large are the travel expenses?

Toronto is the economic engine of the province and indeed the whole country. Throwing its municipal government into chaos when the candidates should be debating issues important to the city’s future is damaging to more than just the people who live there.

There would be no issue if the government held off and passed this legislation for the 2022 election instead. There is no emergency reason to get this done now.

If this government is willing to use the notwithstanding clause to pass a bill as unimportant and non-urgent as this one, what else will they use it for? Next time, it could be for something much more significant, something that affects you directly.

You might want to speak up before it comes to that.

Catherine McNair

Waterloo