Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner says the Ford government’s controversial Bill 5 represents an “extraordinary attack on democracy,” and that only a grassroots movement can stop it.
The legislation, passed in late June, gives the Ontario government sweeping powers to override environmental, labour, and Indigenous consultation laws in designated “special economic zones.” Schreiner says that clause in particular sets a dangerous precedent.
“These special zones were designed in authoritarian countries like China and Russia,” he said. “They let the premier decide what laws apply and which ones don’t, no democratic oversight, no duty to consult. It opens the door to corruption.”
Schreiner has been travelling across the province to speak at rallies and mobilize public opposition to the bill. He said he’s encouraged by the leadership of First Nations communities and points to the successful reversal of the Greenbelt land swap as proof that people power works.
“We stopped the $8.3 billion Greenbelt scandal. Nobody thought we could. But enough pressure made the premier backtrack. We can do the same with Bill 5.”
The Guelph MPP also linked Bill 5 to the need for new protections for Ontario farmland.
“We’re losing 319 acres of farmland every day in Ontario. That’s the equivalent of nine family farms a week,” he said. “You can’t have food security if you pave over the land that feeds us.”
Only five per cent of Ontario’s land is suitable for agriculture, and less than one per cent is prime farmland.
Schreiner said Bill 5 exacerbates the threat, allowing the government to rezone farmland as special economic zones for industrial use. “It’s deeply disturbing, and we’re getting support on this from people across the political spectrum.”
He also spoke candidly about why voters who say they care about the climate often don’t support Green candidates at the ballot box.
“Our electoral system is a huge part of it,” he said. “Doug Ford’s government was elected with the support of less than 20 per cent of eligible voters. We need proportional representation.”
Schreiner added that economic anxiety, driven by the housing crisis and rising costs, is distracting voters from long-term environmental issues.
“When people are struggling to make rent, it’s hard to think beyond the end of the month,” he said. “So we’re working to connect climate action with affordability.”
That includes emphasizing how clean energy can reduce household costs. Schreiner pointed out that electric vehicles and heat pumps are now cheaper to run than gas-powered cars and fossil-fuel heating, but misinformation, he said, is undermining public trust.
“There’s a massive disinformation campaign funded by the oil and gas industry,” he said. “It’s just like Big Tobacco denying smoking causes cancer.”
Looking ahead, Schreiner said his climate goals before retiring include seeing most Ontario homes heated with electric heat pumps and most transportation electrified, including public transit, cycling, and EVs.
As for what the Green Party can do differently, Schreiner said the focus needs to shift away from abstract messaging.
“It’s not just about melting ice caps or emissions targets,” he said. “It’s about how people can save money, live healthier lives, and have good jobs in the clean economy.”
He also left the door open to electoral cooperation among progressive parties, not necessarily a merger, but efforts to avoid vote-splitting and push for democratic reform.
“In the end, the forces trying to block climate action win if we give up. So I’m not going to let them grind us down,” Schreiner said.
