![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bygeorgejournal.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NI_senate-1024x640-300x188.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Niagara Independent, June 25, 2019 \u2014 <\/em>In the dying days of this 42nd Parliament of Canada, the Trudeau Government has passed two major pieces of legislation that could possibly sound the death knell for Canadian resource development. Liberals hail their new measures as a major step towards a greener country. Critics view these measures as the final step to closing down Canada\u2019s oil and gas industries.<\/p>\n In the legislative whirlwind of the final days of this spring Session, Parliament passed two controversial initiatives that the Government identified as priority: 1) Bill C-69 revamps the federal environmental assessment process for major resource projects; and 2) Bill C-48 places a moratorium on oil tanker activity along the BC coast.<\/p>\n RE Bill C-69\u2026 Championed by Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Bill C-69 has been heralded as proof positive by this Government that \u201cA clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand.\u201d This Bill establishes new rules for reviewing and approving all resource development projects. The new assessment process puts into place high environmental standards that the Government maintains are essential to protecting Canada\u2019s environment and communities. The process will vet hundreds of new resource development projects (worth an estimated $500 billion in investment) currently being planned in the next 10 years. The Liberals wanted to ensure their new process would become law before the election.<\/p>\n RE Bill C-48\u2026 This legislation prohibits oil tankers carrying crude and persistent oils as cargo from stopping, loading or unloading at ports or marine installations in northern British Columbia. The proposed moratorium coastline extends from the BC-Alaska border in the north to the point on BC\u2019s mainland adjacent to the northern tip of Vancouver Island. This new law delivers on PM Trudeau\u2019s campaign promise to formalize a crude oil tanker moratorium on BC\u2019s north coast.<\/p>\n These two priority Bills were pushed forward with all the political muscle a majority Government could muster. They were passed even though the Bills came under intense, direct fire from the Canadian business community and from an unprecedented, eleventh hour plea from six Premiers. In a public \u201curgent letter\u201d to Prime Minister Trudeau, the Premiers stated \u201cBill C-69, as originally drafted, would make it virtually impossible to develop critical infrastructure, depriving Canada of much-needed investment.\u201d Concerning the other legislation, the Premiers wrote: \u201cBill C-48 threatens investor confidence, and the tanker moratorium discriminates against western Canadian crude products.\u201d<\/p>\n The Senate Chambre saw the final showdown between the Independent Senators cheerleading the Government\u2019s legislation and a cadre of western Senators calling for necessary amendments to the Bills. To improve the legislation, Senators made literally hundreds of amendments, which the Government largely ignored. Independent Senator Doug Black from Alberta decried that the \u201cClosed for Business sign remains in the window of Canada.\u201d He stated, \u201cIt\u2019s odd to reflect that at this particular time in Canadian history, where our opportunities for trade are limited, whether it\u2019s in agriculture or other areas, that we seem to be taking proactive steps to restrict the export of our most significant export project.\u201d<\/p>\n Other Senators were more pointed in their criticisms of the legislation. Senator Richard Neufeld from BC called C-69 \u201cone of the most toxic, polarizing and divisive bills\u201d he’s ever encountered. NS Senator Michael MacDonald said C-69 \u201cwill be devastating for the Alberta and Saskatchewan economies.\u201d And Conservative Senator David Tkachuk from Saskatchewan said the government has done resource-dependent communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan \u201ca disservice\u201d and he forewarned, \u201cMark my words, these people will let them know exactly how they feel this October.\u201d<\/p>\n The Canadian business community also lamented Parliament\u2019s passage of Bills C-69 and C-48 and warned that it will cause many investors to rethink their project plans. Canadian Chamber CEO Perrin Beatty was alarmed that the Government rejected essential amendments that would \u201cavoid driving investment away from major Canadian infrastructure projects.\u201d In the last few weeks, Imperial Oil responded to the new laws by stating they will \u201cunfortunately cause us to step back and deeply consider any and all future major growth opportunities.\u201d Also, President of Japan Canada Oil Sands Satoshi Abe, who has invested billions of dollars in this country, indicated: \u201cIncreasing regulatory hurdles and uncertainty simply adds to the challenges making Canada unattractive when compared to other jurisdictions.\u201d<\/p>\n Next column: the on-going debate on the potential impact of Bills C-69 and C-48<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chris George<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an Ottawa-based government affairs advisor and wordsmith, president of\u00a0CG&A COMMUNICATIONS<\/a>. Contact:\u00a0ChrisG.George@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n