A man walks in frigid weather at Rundle Park as emissions rise from the Imperial Oil Strathcona Refinery, in Edmonton, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019. The federal government is pushing legislation for the enshrinement of the right to a healthy environmental. However, it is giving itself two additional years to define that meaning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Feds enshrining right to healthy environment but no clarity on what that means
Government will have up to two years after bill takes effect to define that rights implementation
The federal government is pushing legislation to enshrine the right to a healthy environment into law but is giving itself up to two more years to define what that means.
Five years ago, the House of Commons environment committee conducted a mandatory review of Canada’s Environmental Protection Act. This amendment to the Act was one of 87 recommendations made to the government.
The government had to wait until April 2021 in order to introduce the change, but the bill was defeated without debate when the August election was called. In February, a new bill was introduced in the Senate.
The legislation states that the government will have a period of two years from the date the bill becomes effective to determine how this right will be applied when it comes time to enforce the act.
Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson said that it doesn’t make sense to enshrine rights into law without giving context.
But Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says any lawmaker knows you can’t define a legal element in regulation until that element exists.
—The Canadian Press
Climate changeEnvironment
Create a free account today, and start receiving free newsletters.
