The Subcommittee on Bill C-38 (Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act) was established to examine the clauses contained in Part 3 (Responsible Resource Development) of the bill. The mandate given to the Subcommittee from the Standing Committee on Finance is as follows:

Pursuant to Standing Orders 108(1)(a) and 108(1)(b), a Subcommittee on Bill C-38 (Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act) be established to examine the clauses contained in Part 3 (Responsible Resource Development) of the bill, provided that:

1. The Subcommittee be composed of twelve (12) members including seven (7) from the Conservative Party, four (4) from the New Democratic Party, and one (1) from the Liberal Party, to be named following the usual consultations with the Whips,
2. The chair of the Subcommittee be a member of the Conservative Party,
3. The Subcommittee be empowered to send for persons, papers and records, to receive evidence, to sit during a time when the Committee is not sitting in Ottawa, to sit when the Committee is sitting outside the Parliamentary Precinct and to sit during periods when the House stands adjourned,
4. The Subcommittee adopt the routine motions of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, other than the creation of a Subcommittee on agenda and procedure, and
5. The Subcommittee finish its examination no later than 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 4, 2012, and report its findings to the Standing Committee on Finance at the next available opportunity, provided that if the Subcommittee has not reported by that time, it shall be deemed to have reported a recommendation that the clauses contained in Part 3 of Bill C-38 be carried.

The Subcommittee heard from a wide range of witnesses over a significant period of time including federal ministers, various associations, municipalities, academics, chambers of commerce, unions, environmental organizations, and First Nations, on the topics contained in Part 3 of Bill C-38, such as the economic impacts of resource development, environmental protections and Aboriginal consultation, reducing duplication of jurisdictions, timelines, and changes to the Fisheries Act.

Canada has an abundance of natural resources from coast to coast to coast. Natural resources have been the cornerstone of the Canadian economy, and will continue to be in the future. Across Canada, over 500 major projects are underway or being planned over the next 10 years, representing half a trillion dollars of new investments (Jayson Meyers, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, May 28). These investments will be in every sector of the Canadian economy, from the resource to the manufacturing to the services sectors. There is resource potential in every province and territory of Canada, and investment in our resources will touch every region of the country.

Jayson Meyers explained how investments in the resource sector impact the manufacturing sector, stating “these private sector investments will give a badly needed short-term boost to our economy and to jobs. In the long run, they represent a significant part of our industrial infrastructure, offering long-term employment and export growth. However, they also offer something that is much more significant. Canada’s real long-term opportunity is to develop a world-class manufacturing technology and services supply chain for these natural resource projects that will create high-paying, value-adding jobs on the basis of expertise that can be exported globally” (May 28).

Ray Orb from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities explained that “the province of Saskatchewan is experiencing rapid growth with our natural resource sector. Therefore, allowing for a more streamlined approval process that could mean increased economic activity to our provinces will benefit our members, the province, and the country as a whole” (May 28). Lorne Fisher, representing the District of Kent in British Columbia, commended the federal government for the initiatives in Bill C-38 to simplify the approval process for major projects (May 30).

Chief Clarence (Manny) Jules summed up the importance of attracting investment with his statement “investment creates jobs” (May 29). Chief Jules agreed that changes in Part 3 of Bill C-38 could lead to increased jobs for Aboriginal Canadians, stating “any opportunity where you have a streamlining of reviews and whatnot, people will benefit from that” (May 29). Chief Shawn Atleo from the Assembly of First Nations told the Subcommittee that First Nations are not opposed to development” (May 29).

As well as speaking of the benefits increased investment in Canada’s natural resource sector will provide, witnesses also noted that Canada cannot take these potential investments for granted. Canada is competing with countries around the world for these investments. Warren Everson from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) told the Subcommittee that they identified regulatory inefficiency as one of the top 10 barriers to Canadian competitiveness (May 31). Mr. Everson told the Subcommittee that the businesses the Chamber represents are not calling for weaker regulations, but for better regulations (May 31). Jacob Irving, President of the Canadian Hydropower Association, told the Committee that “according to a recent study we conducted with the University of Montreal, hydropower developers are contemplating investing more than 125 billion dollars in Canada over the next 20 years. This new capacity would help satisfy domestic and export demand. The study estimated it would also create over a million new person years of employment across the country. To make these investments with confidence, the hydropower industry needs regulatory efficiency and predictability. Unfortunately, the current federal environmental assessment and authorization regime cannot adequately provide this” (May 30).

Jayson Meyers from the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters explained that “today’s approach to environmental reviews has created an uncoordinated, duplicative, cumbersome, and uncertain process for both domestic and foreign companies. This process is acting as a direct barrier to foreign investment in natural resources, and it’s limiting our members’ ability to capitalize on new supply chain opportunities. We believe a better approach is a “one project, one review” process with a clearly defined time period” (May 28). Similarly, Dave Collyer, President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, noted “Australia and other countries are not standing still, nor are our markets necessarily waiting for us to supply those particular markets. We need to be competitive and a key part of that is the regulatory regime under which we operate. In our view the bill sets out a framework for legislative change that will significantly improve the regulatory review process for natural resource development projects without compromising Canada’s strong record of responsible environmental performance and environmental outcomes” (May 28).

Canada must diversify its export markets to developing countries that have a need for resources of every kind, from energy to metals. As stated by Christopher Smillie from the Canadian Building Trades, “if Canada is serious about moving down the continuum of a developed country, we need to seriously consider diversifying our market beyond the United States…the position of our organization is that we support changes to the system to facilitate large projects, though not at the expense of safety or an environmental review”” (May 28).

The Government of Canada has already implemented many measures to strengthen environmental protections. For example, the Government permanently increased resources to environmental enforcement by $21 million annually to ensure we have the officers, the equipment, the forensic science and the tools to do the job. Today there are 50% more enforcement officers than there were just five years ago.

A theme of section 3 of Bill C-38 is strengthening environmental protection. This legislation ensures that resources are allocated for the projects that are most likely to result in significant potential impacts on the environment, and will increase environmental protection by focusing our resources on major projects. The Subcommittee heard from Scott Vaughn, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, who said 99.9 percent of environmental assessments (EAs) are screening levels, and agreed that allocating resources to larger environmental projects would be a good use of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act’s resources (May 29). According to Denise Carpenter, President of the Canadian Nuclear Association, “reduced overlap and duplication will strengthen the environmental protection. Limiting one project to one review is not only more efficient, it’s more cost-effective, allowing resources to be applied where they can achieve the greatest environmental benefit” (May 28). Ms. Carpenter also explained “If we have a limited amount of resources from a corporate point of view, from a government point of view, and from an NGO point of view, and those resources are being deployed doing environmental assessments over and over again to the same outcomes, what could we do with that resource if we weren't doing repetitive work. We could reassign that resource to do things that really mattered for the environment whether it be compliance or monitoring in the future” (May 29).

Jayson Meyers from the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters said: “we support Bill C-38 because we believe that Canada needs to maximize our economic opportunities while maintaining the right balance between environmental protection and economic growth. We believe the approach proposed in this bill will continue to support responsible environmental protection and oversight, while greatly speeding up approval processes” (May 28). Pam Schwann from the Saskatchewan Mining Association said “we see the designated projects approach as a means to ensure EAs are required where appropriate” (May 30).

The Subcommittee heard from witnesses that this legislation will not lessen environmental standards, but will in fact increase standards. In fact, Mr. Gratton from the Mining Association of Canada said that due to the changes proposed in Bill C-38, more projects may end up being assessed than currently are, stating “we actually may see more projects assessed, but they will be assessed in a more timely manner” (May 28). Mr. Gratton also said “there are many measures in this proposed legislation with respect to CEAA that will improve the environmental assessment process. For example, it’s going to be much clearer than it used to be. They’re eliminating dead time and confusion at the front end of projects and throughout the process” (May 28). Stephen Hazell agreed that Mr. Gratton could be correct in his statement about more mining projects undergoing assessments after the passage of Bill C-38 (May 30).

Dave Collyer said the legislation will not in any way impact or degrade environmental standards, noting “I think there are a number of elements of what’s being proposed that would bring more resources to bear on those projects that have potential for greater environmental impact. Therefore, I would argue at least maintain, and I think reasonably it could be expected to enhance environmental outcomes” (May 28). Mr. Myers agreed, saying “I don’t think there’s anything in this bill that would undermine the effectiveness of our environmental process (May 28). Ms. Carpenter stated that “ultimately I believe if we have one project, one review, in a clearly defined time period, in a clearly defined process, that’s going to be better for the environment” (May 28). Ward Prystay, representing the Canadian Construction Association, said “I don’t anticipate any less scientific rigour in any of the reviews. The process is going to include both federal, provincial or territorial environmental assessment processes regardless, so we don’t anticipate any reduction in the quality of the work or the level of rigour that goes into an environmental assessment” (May 28). Mr. Rees from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association told the Subcommittee “I'd like to dispel the fact that this is a jobs-versus-environment conversation. I think sustainable, smart development is something that can happen” (May 28).

The view of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters is that Bill C-38 represents a responsible and modern approach to regulatory management and oversight (Jayson Meyers, May 28). The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said Bill C-38 “sets out a framework for legislative change that will significantly improve the regulatory review process for natural resource development projects without compromising Canada’s strong record of responsible environmental performance and environmental outcomes” (Dave Collyer, May 28).

Many witnesses stated that changes in this legislation will affect processes, not outcomes. For example, Mr. Prystay said this legislation “removes uncertainty about the need for environmental assessment and will improve project planning. It will also free up federal resources from a bureaucratic interdepartmental coordination process that really has no value from an environment protection perspective” (May 28). Terry Toner, speaking for the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), said “the efficiencies realized by the changes in Bill C-38 will in no way diminish the efforts and actions of CEA member companies in protecting the environment throughout project design, construction and operation” (May 31). Pierre Gratton said the changes are “all about process, it has nothing to do with the quality of environmental assessment, and the extent to which there are measures in here that you could say do affect the quality of the review, I think it enhances them” (May 28). Mr. Gratton also said “this proposed legislation is one of the finest pieces of work we’ve seen coming out of the federal government with respect to EAs ever” (May 28).

Bill C-38 will introduce monetary penalties across the system to enforce violations of our environmental rules and ensure accountability. The bill will require follow-up programs to verify the accuracy of an environmental assessment and determine the effectiveness of mitigation measures for all environmental assessments. These requirements will be included as conditions, along with mitigation measures and an enforceable decision statement, with which the proponent must comply. Penalties for violations range from $100,000 to $400,000. Dr. David Schindler agreed that tougher mitigation penalties will be beneficial (May 29).

Bill C-38 will create a new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 (CEAA 2012). Ed Wojczynski from the Canadian Hydropower Association stated the Canadian hydropower industry welcomes the new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, explaining that “it will reduce federal-provincial overlap and duplication which cost taxpayers, electricity ratepayers and project proponents. C-38 reforms will concentrate the federal process on areas of federal jurisdiction. They will put the emphasis on projects that are likely to have significant impacts. The process improvements should allow the system to comfortably accommodate the timelines proposed in CEAA 2012 and provide quality environmental assessments. Proponents will be able to dedicate resources to really solving priority environmental issues without being side-lined by process distractions that do not contribute to actual environmental outcomes” (May 30). Likewise, Denise Carpenter stated that “Amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act will allow the delegation or substitution of one environmental assessment process for another. This has the potential to reduce multiple layers of overlapping environmental assessment processes to a single, effective process” (May 28).

The Government of Canada has also committed to increase pipeline safety through a $13.5 million investment to increase inspections from 100 to 150 and doubling the amount of audits, and to increasing tanker safety with double-hulled tanker requirements, mandatory pilotage and increased navigational tools. The Subcommittee views these additional initiatives as an important complement to the environmental protection measures within Bill C-38. Captain Fred Denning, President of the B.C. Coast Pilots Ltd., told the committee that they “manage to pilot thousands of vessels in and out of B.C. waters every year, virtually without incident” (May 29), and made it clear that the coast pilots welcome strong safety standards. Captain Kevin Obermeyer of the Pacific Pilotage Authority agreed that making some of the rules around tanker operations, including piloting, a little bit more strict would be a positive thing and would help ensure that their positive track record continues (May 29).

Minister Oliver told the Subcommittee “the fact is our new plan will strengthen environmental safeguards, including tanker and pipeline safety. For the first time, it will provide enforcement of environmental assessment conditions under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. It will also strengthen enforcement with monetary policies respecting the National Energy Board conditions on new pipeline projects. So our changes make sense from both an economic and an environmental perspective” (May 17).

Witnesses from the Canadian Hydropower Association told the Subcommittee “we see Bill C-38 positively addressing many of the regulatory problems. The proposed improvements will not adversely affect our industry`s environmental performance. Instead, they will help encourage further investment in clean and renewable hydropower. This will help Canada reduce North American greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution” (May 30).

The current review system suffers from consultation fatigue, where Aboriginal groups have to repeat the same message to numerous different departments. Testimony indicated the changes in Bill C-38 attempt to better integrate Aboriginal consultations by designating a lead department or agency as the federal coordinator on specific projects. Jean-Francois Tremblay told the Subcommittee that one point of contact was requested by Aboriginal groups (May 30). Mr. Tremblay also noted that court decisions have urged the federal government to better coordinate consultation within the federal family (May 30). Chief Jules explained that “just having one lead on these issues would be a tremendous burden off of the shoulders of the local First Nations communities” (May 29).

Bill C-38 makes a commitment to provide funding to support consultations while establishing protocols or agreements with Aboriginal groups to clarify consultation expectations for a given project. Mr. Tremblay noted that “If you want consultation to be meaningful, you have to make sure that the participants will have the capacity to participate in the negotiation, and that’s what the proposal actually offers” (May 30).

Minister Kent told the Subcommittee that “changes to the environment that affect Aboriginal peoples, including their current use of the land and resources for traditional purposes, are one of the ‘environmental effects’ specifically referred to in this bill. There are also logical points in the process to directly obtain input from Aboriginal groups to learn of their concerns and to develop means to avoid or reduce negative effects. For these reasons, the government will continue to integrate, to the extent possible, Aboriginal consultations into the environmental assessment process” (May 17). Speaking on behalf of the Mining Association of Canada, Pierre Gratton told the Committee that “as an industry which operates outside of urban Canada, we are pleased that Bill C-38 recognizes the importance of Aboriginal consultation” (May 28).

Chief Clarence (Manny) Jules told the Subcommittee that First Nations have to be an integral part of the Canadian economy and share in the benefits of resource development (May 29). For example, speaking of a partnership near Kamploops BC with a First Nation and a mining company, which includes the First Nation being a joint venture partner of the mine development and a comprehensive training and employment program for Aboriginal men and women, Chief Jules said “it is going to be an incredible amount of jobs that are created for the First Nations…not only do the First Nations communities benefit but the entire region, and I see that happening as a potential right across the country” (May 29).

Minister Ashfield explained that “the proposed changes to the Fisheries Act do three things related to the protection of fisheries in Canada. First, it's about focusing our protection efforts where they are needed. Second, it's about regulatory clarity and efficiency. Third, it's about enabling partnerships with provinces and territories, aboriginal groups, conservation organizations, and others that care about fisheries protection” (May 17).

The Subcommittee heard that changes to the Fisheries Act in this legislation will bring a focused, common sense approach to the protection of fisheries and fish habitat in Canada. The changes focus protection rules on real and significant threats to fisheries and the habitat that supports them while setting clear standards and guidelines for routine projects. Bill C-38 will allow the Minister to enter into agreements with groups — like conservation groups — so that they can work together on fisheries protection ideas and developing standards. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters said “we appreciate that the government has made it clear to us that we share the fundamental principles as we collectively move forward, namely: avoid harm to our fisheries; protect productivity of our fisheries; improve habitat protection and fish passage” (May 28). The Canadian Federation of Agriculture also expressed support for the common sense changes to the Fisheries Act contained in Bill C-38, stating that the changes the bill is proposing give more indication to the types of things that need to be protected (May 29).

For example, the proposed changes will improve several conservation tools and will identify ecologically sensitive areas that require enhanced protection; make the conditions associated with Fisheries Act authorizations enforceable; and align infractions under the Fisheries Act with the Environmental Enforcement Act, which provides higher maximum penalties.

Bill C-38 will also allow regulations to be made that prohibit the import, transport and possession of live aquatic invasive species. Dr. Terry Quinney from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters told the Committee “we appreciate that the Government of Canada has explicitly recognized that Canada’s fisheries are important to Canadians and is committing to improve protections associated with our fisheries, including regulations that will prevent harmful aquatic invasive species, such as Asian Carp” (May 29).

The Subcommittee heard about the need for consistency of the application of rules across the country. For example, according to Mr. Prystay, one of the current problems with the Fisheries Act (the Act) is that there is a substantive difference in how the Act is applied across Canada in terms of the level of data that are required to support a review and the level of habitat compensation that is required when a project requires an authorization. He noted that “the changes to the Fisheries Act will clarify the intent of the legislation to protect fisheries and ensure greater consistency in application of the Act across Canada” and said “I think the focus of Fisheries and Oceans going forward is going to be on the really important habitats that exist within Canada” (May 28). Dr. David Schindler also stated “what we want is consistency” (May 29).

The changes will also allow the creation of new, clear and accessible guidelines for Canadians to follow for projects in or near water. Ray Orb, representing the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said that “currently, the Fisheries Act applied the same protection to rivers and streams as municipal drains and farmers irrigation canals. This adds unnecessary costs and extended timeline to routine municipal road construction projects” (May 28). He stated that “the changes to the Act provide the long-awaited distinction between vital Canadian waterways that support fish populations and smaller bodies of water that do not house fish” (May 28). Lorne Fisher told the Subcommittee “For the District of Kent, whose major industry is agriculture, 80 percent of the drainage costs are due to direct and indirect costs of getting approvals and permits from DFO.” (May 30).

Ron Bonnett from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said “C-38 puts in place a process to bring improvements in how the Fisheries Act is implemented in minor works, so that you don’t get hung up on frustration, cost and overlap of jurisdictions” (May 29). It is the view of the Subcommittee that Bill C-38 will bring focus and the needed consistency to the protection measures of fisheries and fish habitat in Canada.

Questioned on whether legislative changes are necessary for the Fisheries Act or whether better enforcement would produce the same result, Gregory Thomas from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation stated “We believe that changes to the legislation are absolutely essential” (May 30). On the other hand, the Honourable Tom Siddon told the Subcommittee that the 144-year old Fisheries Act did not need to be modernized.

Testimony from witnesses clearly noted that in our current regulatory process, major projects with the potential to create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth are often stuck in an inefficient regulatory system for too long. Pierre Gratton from the Mining Association of Canada explained that uncertainty in the review process is a major issue, because, for example, “if you’re a junior company trying to bring a mine into production, time is everything and delays in projects or the uncertainties built into projects, that can lead to delays, can literally kill a project” (May 28).

Currently, projects are stuck in a system with 40 federal departments and agencies involved. Terry Toner, representing the Canadian Electricity Association, told the Subcommittee that “in some cases, regulatory approval processes, combined with construction periods, have totalled more than 10 years from project initiation to grid connection. Of those 10 years, approximately 4 years are spent in the federal EA process. Delays often take place before a review has even begun. Under the current system, it can take a surprising amount of time to mobilize federal officials from the various agencies and departments that are required to be involved and for them to decide whether they’re going to participate at all, and if so to provide early input, such as terms of reference for an assessment“ (May 31).

Dave Collyer explained “the current regulatory process has often led to project delays and cost-escalation which will defer and reduce the employment and revenue benefits accruing to Canadians from these investments. In some cases projects have unfortunately been cancelled or deferred for many years without any discernible improvement in environmental performance or outcomes. In our view, that is clearly not in the public interest” (May 28). Speaking about the proposals in Bill C-38, he said “rather than having a multitude of departments or agencies involved in the review process, single point accountability goes a long way to making process work better. I think it’s as simple as that. It’s consolidating the review responsibility in an agency or department that has the capability to do it” (May 28).

The Subcommittee heard that massive delays in the system do not lead to better outcomes. Pierre Gratton explained that timelines help bring rigour and discipline to the review process (May 28). Speaking about the one project, one review concept proposed in Bill C-38, Pam Schwann from the Saskatchewan Mining Association said “Yes, we’d agree that it does definitely assist in predictability for the industry in terms of knowing what their time frame will be for their investment, and it also ensures that the outcomes are well-understood as you go into an environmental assessment process” (May 30). Mr. Prystay said the Canadian Construction Association “is pleased with the legislation because of the regulatory certainty that it provides. It lays out the steps and the environmental assessment processes and provides timelines so that we can predict looking forward how a project will proceed” (May 28). Mr. Prystay also said the employment opportunities from projects that are subject to environmental assessments range from tens to thousands of construction jobs and tens to hundreds of permanent full-time jobs, and timelines provide more certainty for the process which gives investors greater confidence and greater likelihood to invest in projects in Canada (May 28).

Bill C-38 will establish fixed beginning to end timelines to ensure predictability for investors (24 months for CEAA projects, 18 months for NEB projects and 12 months for standard EAs). These timelines only apply to government time. To ensure flexibility, the Minister can extend timelines by three months, with cabinet able to extend further if necessary. The legislation will also make the system more accountable by ensuring elected representatives make the final decision on NEB projects, putting it in line with CEAA.

As explained by Mr. Prystay, “the proposed changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act don’t actually reduce the timelines. They actually provide timelines for the environmental assessment process, which is a significant benefit” (May 28). He noted that the provincial environmental assessment process in British Columbia legislated timelines in 1995, and that this legislation will give the federal government 365 days to do what the province does in 180 days, stating “I think this demonstrates that the timelines here are generous” (May 28).

Mr. Wojczynski, speaking from the perspective of the hydropower industry in Canada which provides 60 percent of Canada`s electricity, said “I’d like to emphasize that predictability and timeliness in project review and authorization are critical to our industry. Currently, the approvals for major projects in Canada take about four years. And developers usually begin environmental studies many years before the official EA starts. This is too long for investments that are sensitive to market timing” (May 30). He used the example of Manitoba Hydro to explain why timelines for the review process are critical for Canada`s clean energy sector, stating “We are a preferred supplier. Our electricity is clean, renewable and reliable. We will act as a battery to support windpower in the Midwest of Canada and the United States. Our hydro would displace thermal generation and reduce GHGs and air pollution in North America. If the EA process runs more slowly than expected and we miss our contract deadlines, the contracts can be cancelled. Manitobans and Canadians would suffer significant economic losses. Just as important though – our customers would turn to US coal or gas-fired generation to meet their needs. The advantages of reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution by using Canadian hydropower would be lost” (May 30). He also told the Subcommittee it can cost an extra $30 million a year for a review process that is four years rather than two years.

Currently, the system can have numerous different departments and levels of government reviewing the same project. According to the Canadian Nuclear Association “it’s not difficult to imagine how some 40 different agencies, each with their own regulatory processes, could draw resources, valuable human resources, away from what matters to the environment. Resources, such as time and budget, could be and will be dedicated to improving oversight and therefore compliance…we appreciate the renewed focus that the budget bureau brings to what matters to the environment” (May 28). Mr. Prystay said “the consolidation of responsibility for conducting environmental assessments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the National Energy Board, and the Nuclear Safety Commission will result in the Government of Canada making one common decision for a project. It will no longer make the same decision five or more times for a single project through various departments” (May 28). Mr. Fisher also testified that efficiency of process could be improved, and said he is hopeful Bill C-38 will do so (May 30). David McGuinty, Member of Parliament, who testified at the Subcommittee, said “I don't think there's a single Canadian who's saying, ‘Yes, let's delay projects for the sake of delaying them. Let's make them more difficult and more costly.’ Everyone wants to see improvement” (May 29).

Bill C-38 will allow the provinces to take over reviews to reduce duplication in the system. However, provinces will only be allowed to take over a review if they can demonstrate that their process will meet or exceed federal standards. Pierre Gratton explained that “if you look at where substitution will exist or equivalency will exist it will be in jurisdictions where the provinces have been able to demonstrate that their systems of environmental assessment are comparable and equivalent to that of the federal government” (May 28). He also stated “we fully expect every mine to be subject to an environmental assessment. Whether it’s substituted to a provincial government or not, it will be reviewed. We fully expect that and accept that as part of our responsibility” (May 28). Jacob Irving, speaking on behalf of the Canadian Hydropower Association, said that in the current system “our projects undergo federal EAs and must secure authorizations under other federal statues, while at the same time dealing with provincial EAs. The result is duplication, delay and uncertainty. This can discourage investors from supporting renewable electricity in Canada” (May 30). Mr. Irving added that “we believe all stakeholders would benefit from an efficient, timely, predictable and consistent federal EA and authorization regime that also works smoothly with provincial EA processes and environmental regulations. C-38 is helpful in addressing many of these issues” (May 30).

William Amos from EcoJustice stated “we know that there is a need to reduce overlap and duplication” (May 29). The Saskatchewan Mining Association told the Subcommittee “Make sure that any substitution or equivalency process is actually manageable, that it’s not more bureaucratic than the existing system. So making sure that if there are equivalency provisions and substitution provisions, they’re actually of benefit and doable; so making sure that the details in the regulations don’t make things too burdensome” (May 30).

Some witnesses, such as the Canadian Nuclear Association and the Saskatchewan Mining Association, expressed disappointment that Bill C-38 does not allow for federal–provincial equivalency in the uranium mining sector.

Witness testimony indicated that measures contained in Part 3 of Bill C-38 will better reflect the shared federal, provincial and territorial responsibility for environmental protection by avoiding duplication of efforts by different levels of government. Bill C-38 better reflects the concurrency of jurisdictions in the review process, and its consolidation of responsibilities will move Canada to a one project, one review system that will be modern, efficient and effective.

The Government of Canada has already taken steps to improve our economy, from reducing corporate taxes to reducing red tape, however, it is clear from the testimony heard at Committee that we must pass Bill C-38 in order to reform our duplicative and inefficient regulatory system to fully grasp Canada's potential.

It is the Subcommittee’s view from evidence gathered that the modern, efficient regulatory system proposed in Part 3 of Bill C-38 does not mean lesser environmental standards.

It is the view of the Subcommittee that the measures within Part 3 of Bill C-38 will promote positive and long-term relationships with Aboriginal communities in order to facilitate greater direct and indirect benefits on new resource projects. It is clear that the federal government will continue to respect its legal duty to consult Aboriginal Canadians and where appropriate, accommodate.

It is the Subcommittee’s view that Part 3 of Bill C-38 will promote economic development through the streamlining of Canada’s review process of major resource projects, while at the same time strengthening environmental protection. This legislation will provide clarity for consultation with Aboriginal Canadians, and timely and efficient reviews will end needless delays to job-creating projects that Canadians in all regions of the country, including rural and Aboriginal communities, will benefit from. This legislation will amend the Fisheries Act to focus protection on real and significant threats to fisheries and the habitat that supports them while setting clear standards and guidelines for routine projects. Additionally, it aligns infractions with the Environmental Enforcement Act, thus ensuring higher maximum penalties for those who break the rules.

It is the Subcommittee’s view that the measures contained in Part 3 of this legislation will ensure major resource projects in Canada are reviewed in a timely manner while strengthening environmental protections and enhancing Aboriginal consultation.

It is clear from the testimony heard at the Finance Subcommittee on Part 3 of Bill C-38, that the passage of this legislation will serve to enhance the future prosperity of Canada.

The Subcommittee recommends to the Standing Committee of Finance that the clauses contained in Part 3 of Bill C-38 be carried as written.