OFA provided comments regarding Bill 257 – Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021. OFA fully supports Schedule 1 of Bill 257 and the recognition that Ontario would benefit greatly from accelerating the expansion of broadband internet infrastructure. OFA believes that reliable, high-speed internet should be available, affordable and competitively priced to all Ontarians and those who have chosen to work or live in rural areas should not be disadvantaged. However, OFA is unable to support Schedule 3 of Bill 257 that would give the Minister or any other planning authority the ability to make amendments to the Planning Act that are not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). OFA is concerned that Schedule 3 gives the Minister the ability to issue MZOs that are not consistent with the PPS and that this will weaken the local planning process and foster poor planning outcomes. Since the language in Subsection 3(5)(a) of the Planning Act was strengthened, OFA believes the subsequent requirement of local planning authorities to follow the PPS mandate have really begun the work of managing sprawl and allowing development in Ontario to proceed. It would be a shame for this work to be undone by making amendments to the Planning Act. OFA respectfully requests that Schedule 3 of Bill 257 be removed to reduce the threat of bad planning outcomes and to ensure OFA can provide full support for this Bill.