SummarySpren for "S-5, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act"
- • Bill C-219 proposes to recognize the right of every person residing in Canada to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, but it raises significant legal, practical, and policy concerns.
• The approach in Bill C-219 is unclear and would likely lead to uncertainty in its application, whereas the approach in Bill S-5, which has already been passed, provides a concrete path for clarity and greater certainty over time on what adding a right to a healthy environment to CEPA will mean.
- • The Conservative Party supports a balanced approach to environmental policy that prioritizes innovation and economic viability, while the Liberal government's approach is often marked by inefficiency and red tape.
• Bill C-219, which proposes to transfer environmental decision-making to the judiciary, raises significant concerns about the balance of powers and the appropriateness of the judiciary in policy-making roles, and may lead to increased legal disputes and delays in environmental action.
- • The Environmental Bill of Rights would give Canadians legal tools to hold the government accountable for environmental protection, including the ability to request investigations of unlawful activity that harms the environment and to bring environmental protection actions to court.
• The bill would also ensure that all Canadians have access to adequate information regarding the environment, to justice in an environmental context, and to effective mechanisms for participating in environmental decision-making. Additionally, it would address the government's responsibility to protect the environment for present and future generations.
- • Bill C-219, the Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights, would provide Canadians with a constitutional right to live in a clean and healthy environment, and would apply to all federal government legislation, not just CEPA.
• The bill is constitutional, based on an opinion from the House of Commons legal team, and would not infringe on provincial jurisdiction.