This amendment gives the minister the authority to allow the National Energy Board to take environmental degradation and laws of non-use value into consideration during the assessment process. I'll add a quote from Mr. Amos that supports this amendment:
However, there are no regulation-making powers associated with non-use values, damages, and that really does ultimately restrict the government or the crown in how it can move forward to enunciate specifically what types of non-use damages will be claimable under what conditions. There's a lack of specificity in the legislation itself, which isn't necessarily problematic, but the fact that there's no regulation-making power around it doesn't enable that specificity to come into play. I think that additional aspect should be entertained.
That's why the official opposition tabled that amendment.