School Magazine - Ford’s power grab: How Bill 5 and 33 threaten Ontario’s democracy

On April 17, 2025, Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce introduced Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, a name clearly designed to mislead the public.

Bill 5 is an omnibus bill, meaning it bundles numerous, often unrelated, policy changes into a single piece of legislation. This is a well-established Ford government strategy: bury sweeping changes in a massive bill to reduce public scrutiny and limit debate. While Ford claims to be distancing himself from Trump, the undemocratic nature of this approach and the threats it poses to Ontario’s democracy echoes the same playbook.