Safeguarding Canada's Seas and Skies Act

An Act to enact the Aviation Industry Indemnity Act, to amend the Aeronautics Act, the Canada Marine Act, the Marine Liability Act and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

Sponsor

Lisa Raitt  Conservative

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

Part 1 enacts the Aviation Industry Indemnity Act, which authorizes the Minister of Transport to undertake to indemnify certain aviation industry participants for loss, damage or liability caused by events that are commonly referred to in the insurance industry as “war risks”. The Minister may undertake to indemnify all aviation industry participants, or may specify that an undertaking applies only to specific participants or classes of participant or applies only in specific circumstances. The Act also requires that the Minister, at least once every two years, assess whether it is feasible for aviation industry participants to obtain insurance coverage for events or other similar coverage, and that the Minister report regularly to Parliament on his or her activities under the Act. Part 1 also makes consequential amendments to other Acts.
Part 2 amends the Aeronautics Act to provide certain persons with powers to investigate aviation accidents or incidents involving civilians and aircraft or aeronautical installations operated by or on behalf of the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces or a visiting force. It also establishes privilege in respect of on-board recordings, communication records and certain statements, and permits, among other things, access to an on-board recording if certain criteria are met. Finally, it makes consequential amendments to other Acts.
Part 3 amends the Canada Marine Act in relation to the effective day of the appointment of a director of a port authority.
Part 4 amends the Marine Liability Act to implement the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010. Among other things, it gives force of law to many provisions of the Convention, clarifies the liability of the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund with respect to the Convention and confers powers, duties and functions on the Fund’s Administrator.
Part 5 amends the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 to introduce new requirements for operators of oil handling facilities, including the requirement to notify the Minister of their operations and to submit plans to the Minister. It extends civil and criminal immunity to the agents or mandataries of response organizations engaged in response operations. It also introduces new enforcement measures for Part 8 of the Act, including by applying the administrative monetary penalties regime contained in Part 11 of that Act to Part 8.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee, on Feb. 11, 2014

  • Tim Meisner, Director General, Marine Policy, Department of Transport
  • Dave Dawson, Director, Airports and Air Navigation Services Policy, Department of Transport
  • April Nakatsu, Director General, Crown Corporation Governance, Department of Transport
  • Sylvain Lachance, Acting Director General, Marine Safety and Security, Department of Transport
  • François Marier, Manager, International Marine Policy and Liability, Department of Transport
  • Sean Payne, Manager, Environmental Response Systems, Department of Transport

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee, on Feb. 13, 2014

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee, on Feb. 25, 2014

  • Anne Legars, Vice-President, Shipping Federation of Canada
  • Stephen Brown, President, Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia
  • Duncan Wilson, Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Port Metro Vancouver

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee, on Feb. 27, 2014

  • John O'Connor, President, Canadian Maritime Law Association
  • Scott Wright, Operations Manager, Operational Response Readiness, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation
  • Rashid Sumaila, Professor, University of British Columbia, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, As an Individual

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee, on March 4, 2014

  • John Thachet, Legal Counsel, Legal Services, Department of Transport
  • David Reble, Manager, National Airports and Air Navigation Services Policy, Department of Transport
  • Dave Dawson, Director, Airports and Air Navigation Services Policy, Department of Transport
  • Alex Weatherston, Counsel, Legal Advisory Services, Department of Justice
  • Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Philippe Grenier-Michaud
  • Jim Armour, Senior Investigator, Department of National Defence
  • Sylvain Lachance, Executive Director, Regulatory and Quality Assurance, Marine Safety and Security, Department of Transport