Bill C-69 (Historical)

An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

Part 1 enacts the Impact Assessment Act and repeals the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Among other things, the Impact Assessment Act
(a) names the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada as the authority responsible for impact assessments;
(b) provides for a process for assessing the environmental, health, social and economic effects of designated projects with a view to preventing certain adverse effects and fostering sustainability;
(c) prohibits proponents, subject to certain conditions, from carrying out a designated project if the designated project is likely to cause certain environmental, health, social or economic effects, unless the Minister of the Environment or Governor in Council determines that those effects are in the public interest, taking into account the impacts on the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, all effects that may be caused by the carrying out of the project, the extent to which the project contributes to sustainability and other factors;
(d) establishes a planning phase for a possible impact assessment of a designated project, which includes requirements to cooperate with and consult certain persons and entities and requirements with respect to public participation;
(e) authorizes the Minister to refer an impact assessment of a designated project to a review panel if he or she considers it in the public interest to do so, and requires that an impact assessment be referred to a review panel if the designated project includes physical activities that are regulated under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act;
(f) establishes time limits with respect to the planning phase, to impact assessments and to certain decisions, in order to ensure that impact assessments are conducted in a timely manner;
(g) provides for public participation and for funding to allow the public to participate in a meaningful manner;
(h) sets out the factors to be taken into account in conducting an impact assessment, including the impacts on the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada;
(i) provides for cooperation with certain jurisdictions, including Indigenous governing bodies, through the delegation of any part of an impact assessment, the joint establishment of a review panel or the substitution of another process for the impact assessment;
(j) provides for transparency in decision-making by requiring that the scientific and other information taken into account in an impact assessment, as well as the reasons for decisions, be made available to the public through a registry that is accessible via the Internet;
(k) provides that the Minister may set conditions, including with respect to mitigation measures, that must be implemented by the proponent of a designated project;
(l) provides for the assessment of cumulative effects of existing or future activities in a specific region through regional assessments and of federal policies, plans and programs, and of issues, that are relevant to the impact assessment of designated projects through strategic assessments; and
(m) sets out requirements for an assessment of environmental effects of non-designated projects that are on federal lands or that are to be carried out outside Canada.
Part 2 enacts the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, which establishes the Canadian Energy Regulator and sets out its composition, mandate and powers. The role of the Regulator is to regulate the exploitation, development and transportation of energy within Parliament’s jurisdiction.
The Canadian Energy Regulator Act, among other things,
(a) provides for the establishment of a Commission that is responsible for the adjudicative functions of the Regulator;
(b) ensures the safety and security of persons, energy facilities and abandoned facilities and the protection of property and the environment;
(c) provides for the regulation of pipelines, abandoned pipelines, and traffic, tolls and tariffs relating to the transmission of oil or gas through pipelines;
(d) provides for the regulation of international power lines and certain interprovincial power lines;
(e) provides for the regulation of renewable energy projects and power lines in Canada’s offshore;
(f) provides for the regulation of access to lands;
(g) provides for the regulation of the exportation of oil, gas and electricity and the interprovincial oil and gas trade; and
(h) sets out the process the Commission must follow before making, amending or revoking a declaration of a significant discovery or a commercial discovery under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act and the process for appealing a decision made by the Chief Conservation Officer or the Chief Safety Officer under that Act.
Part 2 also repeals the National Energy Board Act.
Part 3 amends the Navigation Protection Act to, among other things,
(a) rename it the Canadian Navigable Waters Act;
(b) provide a comprehensive definition of navigable water;
(c) require that, when making a decision under that Act, the Minister must consider any adverse effects that the decision may have on the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada;
(d) require that an owner apply for an approval for a major work in any navigable water if the work may interfere with navigation;
(e)  set out the factors that the Minister must consider when deciding whether to issue an approval;
(f) provide a process for addressing navigation-related concerns when an owner proposes to carry out a work in navigable waters that are not listed in the schedule;
(g) provide the Minister with powers to address obstructions in any navigable water;
(h) amend the criteria and process for adding a reference to a navigable water to the schedule;
(i) require that the Minister establish a registry; and
(j) provide for new measures for the administration and enforcement of the Act.
Part 4 makes consequential amendments to Acts of Parliament and regulations.

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Chair, will the minister repeal Bill C-69, the emissions cap and the uncompetitive industrial carbon tax so that proponents will actually come forward to—

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Chair, no proponent will come forward if they do not get an exemption to Bill C-69, the uncompetitive industrial carbon tax and the emissions cap. On the emissions cap, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that it will reduce nominal GDP by almost $21 billion and kill almost 55,000 full-time jobs.

Will the minister repeal the emissions cap?

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Chair, the one Canadian economy act allows the government to choose which projects will be exempted from Bill C-69 and the non-competitive industrial carbon tax. If the government is going to exempt some projects, why not exempt them all?

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Chair, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong is home to three refineries, multiple plastics facilities and major energy infrastructure, so my questions will pertain to that.

Since the no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, was put in place, Canada has cancelled 16 major energy projects, resulting in a $176-billion hit to our economy. Will the minister repeal Bill C-69?

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Ponoka—Didsbury, AB]

Mr. Chair, that is one, and it needed an exemption from Bill C-69, Bill C-48 and the carbon tax.

I am going to ask the minister this again. How many projects are they going to be cutting the ribbon for that did not need an exemption from the laws of the Liberal government of the last 10 years?

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Ponoka—Didsbury, AB]

Mr. Chair, how many of these LNG projects were completed without having to bypass the laws passed by the previous government, Bill C-69 and the carbon tax?

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Chair, that is an admission that Bill C-69 blocks projects. The government would not need Bill C-5 if it worked.

What specific projects will be of national interest?

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Chair, when will they repeal the “never build anything, no new pipelines” bill, Bill C-69?

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Chair, when will the government repeal Bill C-69?

Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her excellent synopsis of the bill that we are debating today. Any discussion around affordability and improving one's standard of living has to come with energy and resource development.

Does my hon. colleague not think that the Liberals should join us in passing a real sovereignty law that gets rid of Bill C-69, the industrial carbon tax, the shipping ban and the energy cap?

[Amanpreet S. Gill, Conservative, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Madam Speaker, it is with deep humility and great honour that I rise in the chamber today to deliver my first speech as the member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my wonderful wife Jaspreet Kaur Gill, my son Daya Singh Gill, and lovely daughter Ekam Kaur Gill for their unwavering love and support. It is their strength that carries me through every challenge.

I also want to express my deepest gratitude to the voters and supporters who placed their trust in me. I promise I will not let them down.

I would especially like to remember my late father Sadar Amritpal Singh Gill, whose memories continue to inspire me each and every day. I also thank my mother Gurcharan Kaur Gill for her endless love and encouragement.

I thank the tireless volunteers who knocked on doors in rain and shine, the dedicated sign team who made sure our message was seen across the riding, and the community leaders who guided and inspired us every step of the way. Their hard work, passion and belief in our vision made this victory possible. Together, we will work to build a strong and fair community where everyone has a chance to succeed.

I came to Canada as a teenager, with my family, carrying a dream, like many newcomers who still arrive in this country today. I worked nights, went to school during the day, and through hard work and sacrifice, I achieved my goals. I punched above my weight class every step of the way, becoming a small business owner, raising my children on safe streets and teaching them the values of discipline, responsibility and respect. However, today, I stand here deeply concerned that the Canada that once gave immigrants like me a fair shot at success now feels out of reach, even for those born and raised here. Young Canadians cannot afford to buy homes. Wages are not keeping up with inflation, and good-paying jobs are harder to come by.

The Liberal government increased the immigration level with no plan on housing or infrastructure, and no job strategy. This is not just an immigration issue. It is a national failure of leadership. It is unfair to Canadians who are watching their dreams pushed further out of reach in their own country. It is unfair to newcomers who arrived with hope, but find only struggles. We need a responsible, balanced approach to immigration, one that puts jobs, housing and economic security first.

There were 1.6 million unemployed Canadians in May, which is an increase of 13.8% from this time last year. Things are projected to get even worse. TD forecasts that there will be 100,000 job losses by the third quarter of this year. It is clear that the same Liberal ministers, with the same Liberal policies, are delivering even worse results. Canadians need a real plan to unleash Canada's economic potential and deliver powerful paycheques for our people.

I come from Alberta, a province built on grit, resilience and determination. For over a decade, Albertans have been overlooked by Liberal governments that have failed to understand who we are, what we contribute and what we stand for. They attacked our energy sector with Bill C-48, blocked our pipelines with Bill C-69 and cost our working families their livelihood.

Let me be clear, we do not back down. We roll up our sleeves, and we get the job done no matter the odds. In Calgary Skyview, we may have dirty hands, but our money is clean. It is earned through early mornings, long days and honest sweat. We believe in hard work, not handouts. We believe that the people who built, drive and power this country deserve respect, not red tape.

I also stand here with deep pride in my Punjabi Sikh heritage and in the sacrifices of those who came before me. My grandfather and my wife's great-grandfather both fought bravely alongside the allied forces in World War I and World War II, wearing their dastar with honour and serving with courage, loyalty and unwavering commitment. They stood for freedom, justice and the values we hold dear as Canadians.

Their legacy lives on in me. Just as they wore their dastars with pride and fought with honour on the battlefield, I will wear mine in the House of Commons and fight with the same spirit for Canadians and for the principles of my Sikh faith: equality, courage, justice and service. I carry their strength with me every day as I rise to represent Calgary Skyview. I will never forget who I am or where I come from.

I would also like to take a moment to remember the horrific first week of June 1984, when the Indian army attacked Darbar Sahib, the Golden Temple complex, which is the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were murdered in those days. I was seven years old at the time, and it affected me deeply. Even today, the scars of that assault remain deeply engraved in the hearts of Sikhs around the world, reminding us of the importance of religious freedom and protecting human rights.

Albertans and all Canadians deserve better. They deserve a government that emphasizes their hard-earned dollars, the dignity of hard work and the importance of safe streets, a government that supports energy workers, builds pipelines and strengthens our economy, instead of tearing it down.

That is why I stand here today as a proud member of the Conservative Party, committed to jail, not bail, for repeat offenders. This means holding criminals accountable and ensuring that justice is served swiftly and fairly. It means investing in communities, supporting law enforcement and making our streets safer for all Canadians.

It is clear that the Liberals are out of touch with the needs of Canadians. We need a government that focuses on job creation, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. It is time for a government that puts our economy back on track and secures a brighter future for all Canadians. It is time for action. It is time for the Liberals to put Canada first and introduce a budget that supports Canadians now.

Our vision is clear: a Canada where the economy is strong, families are supported and communities thrive, a Canada where government spending is accountable, taxes are fair and opportunities are abundant for all.

I came to this House to work. I came with a clear mandate backed by my commitment to serve, to lead and to deliver real results. I came here to stand up for the hard-working people of Calgary Skyview and for every Canadian who feels left behind by Liberals who have failed to deliver on their promises. I will fight every day to ensure that others get a chance to live in safe communities, to build better lives and to raise families with dignity and pride.

I will bring the voices of my riding into every debate and every decision, grounded in values of service, fairness and accountability. I am here because I believe in a Canada that is full of potential and opportunities, not one held back by broken promises and a lack of actions.

Let us rise to the moment, work together and build the strong, united and free Canada that we all deserve.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Madam Speaker, I would add that I think the biggest threat to the Canadian economy is the Liberal government, because it put in place bills that are continuing to kill our energy industry, such as Bill C-69, the “no new pipelines“ bill; Bill C-48, the tanker ban; the oil and gas cap, which, according to Deloitte, will kill around 110,000 jobs here in Canada; and this industrial carbon tax. We need to get rid of that, too.

I fully agree with the member. If the Liberals wanted to steal some of our ideas, why not just take all of them and let us get this country back on track to make it an energy superpower, like it once was?

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my very good friend, someone who is a very hard worker and a very patriotic Canadian, the hon. member for Calgary Skyview.

As the The Who says in its song Won't Get Fooled Again:

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss.

If the bill is any indication of how the government intends to make its legislation, we are going to see a repeat of all its old boss's habits of governing by platitudes and poorly thought-out legislation.

Do not get me wrong. Conservatives always support tax cuts; we are the party of tax cuts. In typical Liberal fashion, the Liberals' new boss tried to plagiarize Conservative policies, but just like the old guy, failed to do it right.

We all know that imitation is the best form of flattery. The fact that the Liberals are copying Conservative policies is a compliment to the hard work our members on this side of the House have been doing over the last few years. I cannot think of a better team than the Conservative MPs, staff and stakeholders who have put together world-class policies for the Liberals to steal.

I want to take this time to give a special thanks to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre for finally getting the consumer carbon tax repealed once and for all, for all Canadians. After an eight-year fight, Conservatives axed the carbon tax scam for all Canadians, leaving more of Canadians' hard-earned money in their pockets, where it should have been in the first place.

In October 2024, we announced our GST rebate on new homes to save all homebuyers the cost of the GST on newly built homes. After the Liberals' disastrous job-killing capital gains tax hike announcement, Conservatives promised a “bring it home” tax cut for all Canadian workers, including an income tax cut. These were all things we included in our Conservative platform in the last election. Now we see in the bill we are debating today that the Liberals have taken a lot of our ideas but once again have not implemented them properly.

Let us go through the parts of the bill that we are concerned about. Part 1 of the bill would save Canadian workers only 1% on the lowest tax bracket, which for the average worker amounts to about $420 a year. In contrast, Conservatives proposed cutting income tax by 15%, which would lower the first tax bracket to 12.75%. That would save the average worker $900 a year. That is more than double what the Liberals have.

Thanks to Liberal inflation, interest rate hikes, other taxes and the skyrocketing cost of living, wages have not kept up with the rising cost of food, shelter or clothing. Canadians are spending more on taxes than on food, shelter and clothing combined. Families are paying $10,000 more in taxes than they did in 2015. The average family will pay an extra $800 on food just this year, making the annual bill for groceries this year for an average family about $17,000.

Young Canadians are giving up on the dream of home ownership. Young Canadians are paying for basic necessities by borrowing more and more on their credit card. Now, more than ever, there are more missed credit card payments and mortgage delinquencies, and business insolvencies are on the rise. Household debt in Canada has reached $2.5 trillion, up from $1.9 trillion in 2015. Unemployment is on the rise; it is currently at 7% and could go higher, according to TD Bank, but of course the Liberals think a 1% tax cut will make all of that go away.

The Conservative plan to restore affordability more than doubled the income tax cut, and it also included lowering the cost of government, unleashing the economy and energy sectors, and axing the industrial carbon tax. Part 3 of the bill would eliminate only the consumer carbon tax. That would still leave the tax on the producers of oil and gas that powers everything from our trucks to our tractors. An industrial carbon tax means steel and aluminum manufacturers, loggers, natural gas producers and the agricultural sector will all continue to be burdened by this tax, and that tax will be passed down to the end user.

It makes these industries less competitive and less attractive for investment, and it affects their bottom line. That cost is again passed on to the economy through weaker production, less job creation, higher prices and lower productivity.

If Liberals truly wanted to make life more affordable for Canadians, they would have adopted the full Conservative plan, which is to lower the first income tax bracket to 12.75% and finally get rid of the industrial carbon tax for good. This is the same carbon tax, the industrial carbon tax, that has made sure investment has left the country.

It is the energy industry killing policies like the ones in Bill C-69, the no new pipelines bill, that have made Canada weaker and more dependent on others. It is policies like the ones in Bill C-48, the tanker ban, where we can get our product to the west coast, but it cannot go anywhere because of a tanker ban. As well, there is of course the job-killing oil and gas cap, which, according to Deloitte, will kill around 110,000 good-paying energy sector jobs.

Only Conservatives will continue to stand up for our world-class energy sector, which will not only make Canada an energy superpower but also allow it to become independent so we can sell our product. What we have under our feet in Canada is what the world needs. It is good for the environment, and it is great to give Canadians good powerful paycheques.

The last part of the bill that I want to go over is the GST rebate for first-time homebuyers purchasing a new home. The Building Industry and Land Development Association in the GTA said:

Unfortunately, this limitation to first-time buyers only will have a very small impact, as very few new home buyers are first time buyers. It will not substantially help address affordability, nor will it help significantly stimulate sales and construction.

That too is what the Parliamentary Budget Officer said this morning in his report. Only 140,000 new homes a year will be up for sale, and in the housing market, only 20% of homebuyers are first-time buyers. This means few homes will be eligible for this GST rebate.

There is also a time limit on the Liberal plan, as it is for homes purchased before 2031, construction started before 2031 and construction substantially completed by 2036. Conservatives proposed a much broader plan to include more Canadians buying new homes, for all homebuyers, which proposed that homes could be up to $1.3 million and would save homebuyers around $65,000 on the purchase of a new home. The plan would also boost the number of new homes built each year by 36,000 new homes annually.

House prices under the Liberals have skyrocketed, but housing starts cannot keep up with the out-of-control immigration system their new boss and Justin Trudeau supported. Even finance officials admitted the Liberal GST rebate could be inflationary as demand for homes continues to climb but not enough new homes are being built in this country. Meanwhile, the Conservatives' plan would lower home prices for all buyers and spur the construction of new homes.

The new boss is just like the old boss, and this bill makes this very clear.

Conservatives will support the tax relief Canadians need, but we want it to go even further. We need to get this country back on track. After 10 years of these Liberals, whether it was the old guy or this new guy, the policies are all the same and the ministers who sat around the old cabinet table and now sit around the new one are all the same, and this does not change anything.

The cost of living is higher than it has ever been before. Housing prices are higher than they have ever been before. Under the Liberals, housing prices have doubled, whether someone rents or has a mortgage. The cost of groceries is higher than it has ever been before. It is the highest cost in the entire G7.

We can then talk about other things, such as the crime that is out of control. These failed Liberal policies have caused all this devastation on Canadians and changed the look of what Canada has become.

When it comes to Bill C-4, we will propose common-sense amendments to make sure this bill actually provides Canadians with the relief they desperately need.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Carol Anstey, Conservative, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the oil and gas industry is critical to Newfoundland and Labrador, making up 25% of our GDP and 41% of our exports. The province has targets to double oil and gas production and create thousands of good-paying jobs, but energy companies have made it clear that they will not invest while the Liberals' no new pipelines law, Bill C-69, as well as the oil and gas production cap, and the punishing industrial carbon tax, remain on the books.

Does the Prime Minister not realize that no one will build a pipeline under his anti-energy laws, or is it the plan to keep Canadian oil and gas in the ground?

Natural Resources

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the German ambassador said again yesterday that he still wants to import our natural gas. With Bill C‑69 and Bill C‑48, the production cap and the industrial carbon tax, this Liberal government is stifling our economic growth with its anti-energy measures.

When will the Liberal Prime Minister finally allow Canadians to build pipelines, help our allies and benefit from Canada's resources by scrapping his anti-development agenda once and for all?