Part 1: Bill 60 & Democracy

Omnibus Bill Structure

Bill 60 bundles 16 completely unrelated schedules together—ranging from transit construction and highway regulations to bike lane restrictions, development charges, water corporations, and towing industry rules. This omnibus structure prevents proper scrutiny and debate on each measure, as elected representatives must vote yes or no on the entire package.

The democratic deficit affects all Ontario residents whose elected representatives cannot adequately examine legislation, municipalities trying to manage housing and homelessness crises without input into provincial policy, housing advocates and legal experts excluded from consultation, and the democratic process itself when Parliament cannot fulfill its constitutional role.

Parliamentary scholars have documented how omnibus bills undermine democratic accountability by making it impossible for MPs to properly represent constituents, reducing the House of Commons to an impotent rubber stamp for executive power, and creating an imbalance between legislative and executive branches that threatens parliamentary democracy. As one analysis notes, "excessive deference to the doctrine of the separation of powers has allowed omnibus bills to become a threat to parliamentary democracy in Canada".

Bypassing Public Consultation

The Ford government sent Bill 60 directly to third reading, bypassing the Standing Committee process that would allow public hearings and expert testimony. This deliberate silencing of democratic participation occurred while corporate landlord lobby groups (FRPO and BILD) were consulted extensively and had supportive quotes immediately ready when the bill was announced.

Tenant advocacy groups representing millions of Ontarians, legal clinics that provide frontline services, municipalities managing homelessness emergencies, and housing and homelessness service providers were all excluded while landlord lobbyists shaped the legislation behind closed doors. This represents an "outrageous abuse of power and a deliberate effort to silence tenants," as advocacy groups stated when calling for intervention by the Lieutenant Governor and Governor General.

Increasing Overreach of Authority

Section 241.5 grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council sweeping regulation-making powers to implement changes without further legislative oversight. Future tenant rights can be stripped through regulatory changes made behind closed doors, with no democratic debate, public consultation, or parliamentary accountability.

This represents an authoritarian approach to governance where the executive branch can fundamentally alter rights and protections without the transparency and scrutiny that democratic institutions require. Combined with the omnibus structure, it sets a dangerous precedent for how governments can circumvent democratic accountability