Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill C-69, An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.Colleagues, several aspects of this huge bill concern me; however, for this speech I shall limit my remarks to three: the removal of the standing test, the lack of clarity around decision-making, and the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the assessment process.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: I rise today to speak to Bill C-48, An Act respecting the regulation of vessels that transport crude oil or persistent oil to or from ports or marine installations located along British Columbia’s north coast. This act, as you know, purports to protect the ecological diversity of northern B.C. by banning tankers with the capacity to carry equal to or greater than 12,500 tonnes or 90,000 barrels of crude and persistent oils.