(Quebec) For once, a bill tabled by the opposition is submitted for study by the Legault government.
Posted at 5:48 p.m.
Parti Québécois Bill 391 proposes the primacy of Quebec’s jurisdiction in environmental matters. This legislative proposal should therefore in principle be the subject of a debate and be studied in a parliamentary committee.
However, this does not guarantee that the bill will pass.
The environment is a shared jurisdiction in Canada between the federal government and the provinces, which gives rise to disputes and conflicts between governments.
Under Bill 391 tabled by PQ MP Sylvain Gaudreault, Quebec would be the only one able to authorize projects that would see the light of day on its territory.
“Our laws will have greater legitimacy and importance,” pleaded Mr. Gaudreault.
The federal government could not, for example, pursue an environmental assessment process for a project and authorize it while Quebec has already refused it.
This was the case for GNL Quebec’s controversial Énergie Saguenay project. The Legault government had refused the environmental authorizations required for this natural gas liquefaction plant and LNG terminal project following an unfavorable report from the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement.
However, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada continued its study on its side, at the request of the proponent. Finally, the federal government also said no to the project last February following the tabling of the agency’s report.