I agree with Mr. Ouellet. The two sections he quoted are excellent. One is from the Environment Quality Act and it limits the application of the act by considering other existing ones. The other, section 46.1 of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, to which my colleague Mr. Woodworth referred, reads as follows:
Every person has a right to live in a healthful environment in which biodiversity is preserved, to the extent and according to the standards provided by law.
The right is circumscribed by the words “to the extent and according to the standards provided by law”.
In terms of the bill before us, the Conseil patronal de l'environnement du Québec was very clear: there are no benchmarks. Quite the opposite, it is a free-for-all. The lack of benchmarks creates a climate of constant uncertainty. Is that what we want for Quebec companies? It creates an climate of constant uncertainty for hydroelectric development. Licences and permits issued to companies and compliance with legitimate acts and regulations become almost secondary. In other words, it does not matter whether you abide by the law or not. Anything can happen anywhere and at any time.
There was an attempt at an amendment that intended to rein that in a little, but there seems to be hesitation now. In its present form, the bill is an obstacle to Hydro-Québec's development and the proposals in the amendments do not go far enough. I hope that members will come to the defence of Hydro-Québec by voting against this bill.
Thank you.