Ontario’s law is far broader than the feds’ version and could be unconstitutional: experts
Both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are responding to the economic threat posed by Donald Trump with new laws that grant their cabinet ministers the power to exempt projects from the normal rule of law, allowing them to be built faster.
But Ontario’s law, legal experts say, is far broader and lacks the guardrails built into its federal counterpart, and, because of that, could be unconstitutional. Paul Daly, an expert in administrative law and professor at the University of Ottawa, made that case in a recent article, arguing that, while the federal bill could be improved, it is “constitutionally permissible” and could, in his view, be beneficial if used well.