Environment committee  I can start, and then my colleagues can chime in. As the minister noted in her remarks, Bill C-69 is premised on ensuring that decisions that are taken under the legislation are evidence-based. Throughout the assessment process, we have a number of different factors and opportun

Environment committee  Yes, the rationale for the minister's decisions will be public, and that is a significant change from the current CEAA 2012 legislation.

Environment committee  Included in the changes are also changes to the registry. Currently, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has an online registry system. There are about 80 different components within the draft legislation that propose transparency elements to increase the amount of docum

Environment committee  There are federal land provisions within the legislation, specifically, and those have been enhanced since the current legislation. With respect to federal lands, there are increased requirements for specific criteria to be looked at by all federal authorities when conducting ass

Environment committee  Within the legislation, those are the proposed sections starting in the forties: 43 and 46. They're known as integrated reviews. What we want to do through integrated reviews is to ensure that one assessment process can meet the requirements of the impact assessment legislation

Environment committee  As the minister noted, there are two sections within the legislation that specifically look at Canada's climate commitments and obligations: proposed subsection 22(1) and then proposed section 63, in the decision-making. It's important to note that climate commitments and envir

Environment committee  As Terry has noted, what we've tried to do with the proposed legislation is to put the principles of free, prior, and informed consent, and having mutual respect and dialogue, threaded throughout the legislation. There are a number of aspects of the draft legislation that speak t

Environment committee  As I've indicated, the current legislation as drafted tries to embody the principles of free, prior, and informed consent based on mutual dialogue and respect. That has been the theme that has gone through the legislation.

Environment committee  The minister has indicated openness to amendments. We look forward to continuing that dialogue in supporting the minister and the government—

Environment committee  In terms of public participation within the proposed legislation, an important component actually is in the early planning phase where there are outputs of the early planning phase.

Environment committee  I can't answer as to why specifically something's not in there, but I can indicate what is in there. What is in there is no longer the interested party test. Right there, that has been removed so there's no longer—

Environment committee  —a requirement for individuals to be identified as interested parties, thereby opening up the level of participation. Also, within the purpose statement of the act, there is a clear statement there—

Environment committee  —with respect to meaningful participation within the process, as well as the development of a public participation plan in the early planning process. There are a number of points with respect to public participation.

Environment committee  As the minister noted in her opening remarks, one of the goals is to ensure that we are getting good projects to market. The process that has been designed through the proposed legislation aims to ensure this by bringing regulatory certainty to the process through assessments by

Environment committee  There are a number of ways. First off, proposed section 22 of the legislation, which lays out the factors that need to be undertaken in an impact assessment, is an expanded section that looks at health, social, and economic factors as well as community knowledge and indigenous kn