Bill C-38 · 39th Parliament · Stephen Harper
An Act to permit the resumption and continuation of the operation of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedDec. 11, 2007
- Debated in principleDec. 11, 2007
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberDec. 11, 2007
- Passed the second chamberDec. 11, 2007
- Became lawDec. 12, 2007
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Stephen HarperPrime Minister
- Wilbert J. KeonSenate · Sponsor in the Senate
- The Deputy SpeakerM1 facilitates debate on the bill without objection.
- Gary LunnM3 backs resuming operations via the bill with safety focus and welcomes reporting.
- Tony ClementExplicitly states support for the bill to resume reactor operation due to isotope shortage.
- David AndersonM8 agrees bill enables safe and timely restart of production.
- Peter Van LoanM2 thanks participants for enabling deliberations on the bill.
- Ted MenziesEmphasizes resolved safety and urgent patient needs to justify restart.
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
How it changed on the way
The texts have not been compared yet.
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The Act overrides two named licence conditions at one specific reactor for an exact 120-day window. One subjective safety judgment remains with the operator.
Open to argument
“only if it is satisfied that it is safe to do so.”
Relies on the operator's subjective satisfaction rather than an objective test or external verification.
Clear-cut
“for a period of 120 days after the coming into force of this Act”
Fixes a precise duration and clear commencement trigger.“tion of seismically qualified motor starters on the heavy water pumps and the connection to the emergency power supply.”
Identifies the exact technical licence conditions being set aside.
Discretion. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited alone decides whether it is safe to resume operation, with no further role for ministers, the Commission or regulations.
Challenging the law itself. The narrow, time-limited exemption for one named facility creates little scope for vagueness or overbreadth claims under the Charter.
Disputing a charge under it. The permission is defined by reactor name, exact duration and listed conditions, leaving only factual disputes about compliance.
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.