Bill C-38 · 37th Parliament · Jean Chrétien
An Act to amend the Air Canada Public Participation Act
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedOct. 25, 2001
- Debated in principleOct. 31, 2001
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberNov. 19, 2001
- Passed the second chamberDec. 10, 2001
- Became lawDec. 18, 2001
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Jean ChrétienPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
94% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (871 words introduced, 321 passed).
minor changeintent kept
The bill passed with the core removal of the 15% ownership limit and related associate rules intact. Minor wording and formatting edits were made before royal assent.
- Added royal assent date to the title.
After: “[Assented to 18th December, 2001]”
- Changed verb agreement in the exceptions clause.
Before: “no regulation referred to in subsection (2) applies in respect of voting shares of the Corporation that are held”
After: “no regulation referred to in subsection (2) apply in respect of voting shares of the Corporation that are held”
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill uses exact section references and repeals to remove the ownership limit but inserts a subjective clause allowing regulations to apply with whatever modifications circumstances require. It also leaves the start date entirely to a ministerial recommendation and cabinet order.
Open to argument
“with any modifications that the circumstances require”
This phrase supplies no objective test or defined limits, so the scope of the applied rules is open to argument.
Clear-cut
“Paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Air Canada Public Participation Act is repealed.”
It identifies the exact paragraph to be removed, leaving no interpretive room.“Subsections 6(4) and (5) of the Act are repealed.”
It names the precise subsections eliminated by number.
Discretion. The Act comes into force only on a day fixed by Governor in Council order made on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport, giving ministers full control over timing.
Challenging the law itself. The text contains no obvious vagueness or overbreadth that would engage section 7 or section 2(b) Charter claims.
Disputing a charge under it. The operative changes are simple repeals of numbered provisions, so disputes over whether a breach occurred would turn on the remaining statutory text rather than the amendment itself.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.