Bill S-31 · 38th Parliament · Paul Martin
Highway 30 Completion Bridges Act
An Act to authorize the construction and maintenance of a bridge over the St. Lawrence River and a bridge over the Beauharnois Canal for the purpose of completing Highway 30
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedMay 11, 2005
- Debated in principleJune 6, 2005
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberJune 20, 2005
- Passed the second chamberSept. 29, 2005
- Became lawNov. 3, 2005
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Paul MartinPrime 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
59% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (619 words introduced, 600 passed).
minor changeintent kept
The core text authorizing the two bridges and related approvals stayed identical. Only the formal header, assent date, chapter number, and publication notes were updated for the final statute.
- Added royal assent date.
After: “ASSENTED TO 3rd NOVEMBER, 2005”
- Replaced first-reading details with final publication authority.
Before: “FIRST READING, MAY 12, 2005 THE LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SENATE”
After: “Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons”
How precisely it is written
preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The Act names exact bridge locations between specific municipalities and lists the precise documents required before construction. It confines approvals and regulations to narrow, objective steps without subjective standards.
Clear-cut
“the location of the bridges and ancillary works, and the plans and specifications for them, have been approved by the Governor in Council”
Limits power to a single, identifiable approval step.
Discretion. The Governor in Council holds approval power over location and plans plus authority to make navigation regulations, but both are tied to the specific bridges and documents listed.
Challenging the law itself. The Act grants a narrow, location-specific authorization with no obvious engagement of Charter rights such as expression or equality.
Disputing a charge under it. Compliance turns on whether the listed documents were submitted and Governor in Council approval obtained, both objective facts.
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.