The first amendment basically reiterates what the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs did. The amendment addresses questions raised by the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations.
The amendment has two parts. The first concerns section 18.1. All it does is clarify the definition of the term "document" as it applies to that section. According to the analysts, any document or federal law would also include the standards and regulations. So that is the first part.
The second part seeks to establish guidelines. We discussed that at length in our first hour. It would authorize the governor in council to establish guidelines, which are quite important. As we've discussed, we are sort of in legal limbo given the absence of any guidelines on the use of incorporation by reference.