CME ADVOCATES FOR AMENDMENTS TO BILL C-69

OTTAWA (February 21, 2019) — At a Senate Committee hearing today, CME highlighted Bill C-69, as written, could be a direct threat to future resource development and the well-being of  manufacturers’ essential suppliers and customers. It could make it difficult to proceed with nationally significant natural resource development projects.

While CME  supports the development of Canadian energy and understand the intent of Bill C-69, we recommend the bill be amended to support a process that enables good projects to proceed quickly, amicably, and predictably.

CME recommended that Bill C-69 be amended in 8 ways:

  1. The Act should  include national, regional and community economic interests.
  2. Life cycle regulators, which have a stellar record and experience, should continue to be included in the project approval process.
  3. In order to have a clear debate, the proposed project list under review should be made public.
  4. Introducing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into Bill C-69 would introduce unnecessary uncertainty.
  5. The Impact Assessment Agency should be established as an independent body with an independently appointed Board of Directors, rather than an arm of Environment and Climate Change Canada to avoid politicization of decisions.
  6. Replacing the NEB with a new process would led to court challenges – setting Canada back years.
  7. The Act should set reasonable timeframes during which challenges can be made.
  8. The mandatory requirement for review of offshore oil and gas activities is an unnecessary over reach that could make new offshore exploration economically nonviable.

READ CME’S FULL REMARKS HERE

ABOUT CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS

Since 1871, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters has been helping manufacturers grow at home and, compete around the world. Our focus is to ensure manufacturers are recognized as engines for growth in the economy, with Canada acknowledged as both a global leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing and a global leader in exporting. CME is a member-driven association that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies who account for an estimated 82 per cent of manufacturing output and 90 per cent of Canada’s exports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Stefi Proulx
Director of Communications & Branding
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
613-292-6070
stefi.proulx@cme-mec.ca