New legislation doesn’t jeopardize safety

RE: One-for-one rule misguided (Oct. 24)

The op-ed by Mark Winfield favours fear over fact. Mr. Winfield wrongly suggests that a provision in the Cutting Unnecessary Red Tape Act that requires ministries to intelligently limit new administrative costs on Ontario businesses will result in the indiscriminate slashing of important environmental and health regulations.

In fact, the very first page of the schedule he is referring to clearly spells out the government’s intent: “Ontario is committed to fostering a strong business climate that supports growth while ensuring appropriate regulatory oversights that protect the public, workers and the environment.” Under the proposed legislation, the adoption and elimination of all government regulations remains firmly with ministers of government, just as it is now.

This legislation is about smarter ways to regulate, not deregulation. Moreover, for the first time ever, Ontario will publish an analysis of the costs and benefits of each new regulation. Additionally, any changes made to meet the new offset obligations will be made public. This heightened transparency ought to give Ontarians’ comfort that the government is being honest about regulatory costs and benefits.

Ontario has a proven track record of cutting unnecessary red tape without compromising Ontarians’ safety or the environment. Our government has removed over 80,000 regulatory burdens since 2008. Our 2016 Burden Reduction Bill introduced measures that have an estimated savings of $151.62 million to business and other stakeholders. We’ve taken these measures to help businesses compete in a fiercely competitive economy while continuing to provide strong social and environmental protections for all Ontarians. Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth