This amends the bill to ensure that the fault placed on the operator cannot be reduced.
I would like to remind committee members of Mr. Edwards' remarks when he pointed out that taxpayers must also be considered.
He said, “While the act limits the ability of the operator, it does not limit the liability of the taxpayer. The exposure of the Canadian taxpayer is unavoidable under this legislation and it's unlimited”.
When a bill like this is passed, taxpayers must also be considered. If we reduce the operator's liability and simply send an invoice to the taxpayers, we are no further ahead. In my view, this in no way observes the polluter pays principle.
I would also like to make another comment.
We have had little time to study Bill C-22. As the transcripts of the meetings have not yet been translated, I can only quote the remarks in English. If I mangle some of the quotations sometimes, I apologize. It is more difficult for us francophone members to quote those remarks because we still do not have the official translation of previous meetings.