Get set for another attack on fair and equitable treatment under the law. Passage of this act would be a victory for the forces of private privilege and arbitrary rule. The environment, public health and safety, and the public interest surely would be losers. In the rush to streamline government operations, it has become fashionable to pretend that unsexy regulations are an impediment to Canadian society. The truth is different.
Regulations help to provide a high level of safety and order in the fabric of our lives.
Federal regulations set the standards for aircraft safety, safe transportation of hazardous materials, x-ray equipment and level the playing field for business. The Act will permit anyone who wishes to avoid a regulation to do so by entering into a special deal with two ministers of the Crown. Instead of providing efficiency, compliance plans will add a whole new level of complexity to Canada's laws. When the number of these special deals begin to multiply, the notion of one law for all will shrivel. For all other Canadian legislation, citizens are expected to know the law.