Bill 5, also called the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, empowers the government (among other things) to create special economic zones, where cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw.

Ford pitches Bill 5 as a way of shoring up Ontario’s economy in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs by speeding up major infrastructure and resource projects.

Ford’s officials insist the government won’t exempt any company in a special economic zone from Ontario’s minimum wage rules or other labour laws.

But the wide-open way the legislation is written would allow cabinet to hand out exemptions from any law, whether labour, environmental or operational.