By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
On March 8, 2023 Haldimand Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady was dealt a tough blow as her first Private Member’s Bill, Bill 62, was voted down 68-29 at Queen’s Park.
The bill was Brady’s bid to force the Provincial government to re-assess their aggressive approach to development in Ontario’s rural communities, which she sees as a threat to the farmland that feeds the province. The bill tasked the Ministry of Agriculture, Foods, and Rural Affairs with developing an action plan aimed at protecting Ontario’s farmlands from a litany of threats, including development, aggregate mining, and fluctuating commodity prices. Brady also proposed the establishment of a stakeholder-led Farmland and Arable Land Advisory Committee, which would advise the Minister on issues of agricultural concern.
Speaking on the morning of the vote, Brady said she knew “full well” that it would not be met favourably by the Conservatives, adding, “I wanted to force a recorded vote today to have on record the people who did vote against my bill.… When the government responded to my bill, they made it very clear they would not be supporting it. It’s very, very frustrating.”
QUEEN’S PARK—Haldimand Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady is shown debating her private member’s bill, Bill 62, which aims to protect farmland from unchecked development in Ontario. The later vote saw the bill defeated on March 8, 2023.
—Photo courtesy of Bobbi Ann Brady.
She said that while her bill was criticized as redundant, the response she got from the farming community was very different: “I’ve got four pages of farm organizations, commodity groups, individuals, and farm families who believe this government is not saving Ontario’s farmland. If you have tools and you’re not using them, shame on you for not using them.”
Brady feels that the current aggressive strategy being employed provincially through legislation such as Bill 23, the More Homes, Built Faster Act, is undemocratic, positing, “They’re forcing municipalities or municipalities are complying. With them changing official plans and rezoning things, they are complicit with the government in ensuring that future generations will not have a say in planning issues.”
She continued, “That to me, is a real slap to democracy. My kids, my grandkids, are going to have this all put in place for them without having a say. I do not find that to be democratic by any stretch of the imagination.”
She cited the previous request for a Minister’s Zoning Order by Haldimand’s previous Council, related to a proposed large-scale development in Nanticoke, as an example, noting, “The community sees the fact that the government is using Ministerial Zoning Orders in the wrong way. MZOs are typically used for things like getting a long-term care home built, or getting a hospital or a school put up, necessities for the community. It’s not lost on the taxpayer that we’re now seeing MZOs being used to build subdivisions. That’s not what they’re used for, and it’s an abuse of power. People are wise to this.”
Brady believes that unchecked urban sprawl will eventually wreak havoc on the North American food supply chain, noting how the same type of rural growth taking place in Haldimand currently is happening across the US too.
“Where does Ontario import food from? The US,” said Brady. “If we have to start importing food from the US when their land base is shrinking, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going to happen to the price of that food.”
The MPP said that a “patchwork” approach to agricultural issues throughout Ontario only leads to frustration, which is why she believes a committee made up of stakeholders, such as farmers, real estate agents, and developers, working with a team of MPPs could present a way forward that respects all concerns.
“There are some who say, ‘If we pass Bobbi Ann’s bill, it will be an admission that we’ve done something wrong.’ They don’t want to admit that they are the government who is in the pocket of the developer,” said Brady. “If this government actually believed they were doing nothing wrong, that they aren’t paving over all of Ontario’s farmland, this committee would be a great opportunity for them to pass the bill and say, ‘We’re not doing anything wrong. Go consult, go talk to the proper people, and you will see that we’re doing it right.’”
She said she wanted to involve stakeholders since a committee of strictly politicians wouldn’t change anything: “The way the standing orders are set up, the government would still have the majority of the votes. Nothing would change. You could have all the consultations, all the recommendations you wanted, but the government would still say, ‘No, we’re not doing that,’ because they still had the majority of the votes. It makes no sense. That would be redundant red tape.”
Despite the loss, Brady is committed to pushing the issue forward, noting, “I’m not going to give up. This will continue to be an issue I will talk about every single day. There are members on the government’s side who know it’s a good bill too.”
She said she is certain that many rural Conservative MPPs, if allowed to vote freely, would have shown her bill more support, adding, “They know it’s the right thing to do, and they are sitting there with their hands tied…. Anybody who’s not on the PC side is not allowed to have a good idea; there’s a monopoly on good ideas. It’s not what democracy should look like.”
She was heartened, however, by the bill’s opposition support, with both the NDP and Liberal caucuses supporting it.
“It’s not a lost issue, and I will continue to beat the bushes on this,” she said.
Brady mentioned that those who are dissatisfied with the government’s vote on her bill can make their opinions known, either by letter, email, or phone call to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs.
“It’s shameful that they did not adopt Bill 62,” concluded the MPP. “If you already have the tools, then get them out of the toolbox and start using them.”
