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ARTICLE · 25 JULY 2024

After The New Bill C-69: A Plan, A Directive And Then What?

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In recent months, the Government of Canada took several steps that may alter the regulatory system for natural resource and infrastructure projects, and "clean growth projects" in particular.

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Serge Dupont
Serge Dupont
Martin Ignasiak KC
Martin Ignasiak KC
David Bursey
David Bursey
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In recent months, the Government of Canada took several steps that may alter the regulatory system for natural resource and infrastructure projects, and "clean growth projects" in particular.

  • First, Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024, was given Royal Assent. This omnibus budget bill introduced amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) to reconcile the Act with the October 2023 opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada that found the Act exceeded Parliament's jurisdiction. The Government submits that the amended Act includes increased flexibility in substitution of assessments to allow for greater collaboration and to avoid interjurisdictional duplication. An earlier blog by Martin Ignasiak, David Bursey and Lisa Rodriguez suggested that the amendments "offer minimal changes and may leave the IAA once again ripe for constitutional challenges".1

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