An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act

This bill is from the 42nd Parliament, 1st session, which ended in September 2019.

Sponsor

Dominic LeBlanc  Liberal

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment amends the Oceans Act to, among other things,
(a) clarify the responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to establish a national network of marine protected areas;
(b) empower the Minister to designate marine protected areas by order and prohibit certain activities in those areas;
(c) provide that, within five years after the day on which the order of the Minister designating a marine protected area comes into force, the Minister is to make a recommendation to the Governor in Council to make regulations to replace that order or is to repeal it;
(d) provide that the Governor in Council and Minister cannot use the lack of scientific certainty regarding the risks posed by any activity as a reason to postpone or refrain from exercising their powers or performing their duties and functions under subsection 35(3) or 35.‍1(2);
(e) update and strengthen the powers of enforcement officers;
(f) update the Act’s offence provisions, in particular to increase the amount of fines and to provide that ships may be subject to the offence provisions; and
(g) create new offences for a person or ship that engages in prohibited activities within a marine protected area designated by an order or that contravenes certain orders.
This enactment also makes amendments to the Canada Petroleum Resources Act to, among other things,
(a) expand the Governor in Council’s authority to prohibit an interest owner from commencing or continuing a work or activity in a marine protected area that is designated under the Oceans Act;
(b) empower the competent Minister under the Canada Petroleum Resources Act to cancel an interest that is located in a marine protected area that is designated under the Oceans Act or in an area of the sea that may be so designated; and
(c) provide for compensation to the interest owner for the cancellation or surrender of such an interest.

Elsewhere

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

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-55s:

C-55 (2023) Law Appropriation Act No. 3, 2023-24
C-55 (2015) Law Appropriation Act No. 1, 2015-16
C-55 (2013) Law Response to the Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Tse Act
C-55 (2010) Law Enhanced New Veterans Charter Act

Votes

May 13, 2019 Passed Motion respecting Senate amendments to Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act
May 13, 2019 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act
April 25, 2018 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act
April 25, 2018 Failed Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act (recommittal to a committee)
April 25, 2018 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act
Oct. 17, 2017 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes

Unfortunately, the time is up.

It being 5:45 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the third reading stage of the bill now before the House.

The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes

All those in favour of the amendment will please say yea.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes

All those opposed will please say nay.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:

Vote #656

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

The Speaker Geoff Regan

I declare the amendment defeated.

The next question is on the main motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

The Speaker Geoff Regan

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

The Speaker Geoff Regan

All those opposed will please say nay.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Oceans ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 2018 / 6:25 p.m.

The Speaker Geoff Regan

In my opinion, the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen: