BILL C-69: CD Howe calls for changes to 'flawed' legislation
The C.D. Howe Institute says Bill C-69 - aimed at revamping the approval process for the natural resources sector - will further depress a sector that struggled for investment in 2018. Projects will be delayed and exposed needlessly to political risk.
Between 2017 and 2018, the planned investment value of major resource projects fell $100 billion, according to the Institute. The plunge is equivalent to 4.5% of Canada's gross domestic product.
The new report has several recommendations for the federal government:
Specify clear criteria for assessing projects that can be applied in a consistent and timely manner.Preserve the role of "lifecycle" regulators (i.e., the National Energy Board/Canadian Energy Regulator and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission) in leading assessments.Require a project's adverse effects be found "significant" before involving political decision makers.Ensure review panels can focus on relevant submissions by maintaining an appropriate standard for participation in hearings.Update guidance for federal officials to ensure consistent consultation of Indigenous peoples - that satisfies the past decade of case law on the duty to consult.Compile and annually report on timelines for federal environmental assessments across major projects in Canada compared to other countries.Details are available in the 48-page report, "A Crisis of Our Own Making: Prospects for Major Natural Resource Projects in Canada," co-authored by Grant Bishop and Grant Sprague and available to download by clicking here.
This story first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal.