Thank you, Madam Chair.
It is that Bill C-244, in clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 1 to 6 on page 2 with the following:
34.1 (1) It is prohibited for an owner of a vessel to transfer ownership of it to a person unless the owner has taken the following steps to satisfy themselves that the person has the resources and intent to maintain, operate and dispose of the vessel in a manner that prevents it from becoming a wreck or hazard or from becoming abandoned:
(a) they have disclosed to the person, in writing, information relating to the condition of the vessel; and
(b) they have obtained from the person, in writing, confirmation that the person has the resources and intent to maintain, operate and dispose of the vessel in a manner that prevents it from becoming a wreck or hazard or from becoming abandoned.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of vessels, other than pleasure craft, that are 24 m or more in length.
The amendment maintains the original intent of the clause by prohibiting the transfer of a vessel to individuals without the means or intent to properly maintain or dispose of the vessel, while making the provisions more practical to implement and enforce. For example, the amendment would remove the requirement for the seller to assess a buyer's ability or intent to maintain a vessel, which raises concerns over how sellers could determine the buyer's ability, resources or intent to operate, maintain or dispose of the vessel. Instead, the amendment introduces two clear requirements that the owner of a vessel must fulfill when transferring a vessel: They must disclose to the buyer, in writing, information relating to the condition of the vessel, and they must obtain written confirmation from the buyer.