Bill C-64 · 41th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Georges Bank Protection Act
An Act to amend the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedJune 5, 2015
- Debated in principleJune 19, 2015
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberJune 19, 2015
- Passed the second chamberJune 22, 2015
- Became lawJune 22, 2015
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
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.
What it set out to do
On 5 June 2015, the Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario introduced Bill C-64, An Act to amend the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act (Georges Bank Protection Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. Bill C-64 amends the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act to provide that a statutory moratorium on the exploration and drilling for, and the production, conservation and processing of, petroleum in the Canadian portion of Georges Bank in the offshore area, and the transportation of petroleum produced in that portion of the offshore area, be re-established and may also be extended by joint notice of the Minister of Natural Resources and his or her provincial counterpart.
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
87% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (1,051 words introduced, 535 passed).
minor changeintent kept
The bill passed with its core provisions on re-establishing the Georges Bank moratorium unchanged. Explanatory notes quoting the prior version of the Act were removed before royal assent.
- Explanatory notes quoting old sections 104 and 141 were deleted.
Before: “Existing text of section 104: 104. The interest owner of an interest in relation to lands situated in that portion of the offshore area that is described in Schedule IV is, in respect of those lands, exempt from the payment under section 81 of the Canada Petroleum Resources Act of any amount in respect of any period mentioned in subsection 141(1) or specified in a notice issued pursuant to subsection 141(7).”
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The initial moratorium is fixed by date and location with a clear ban on listed activities. Extensions rest on a broad ministerial review that includes any relevant factor.
Clear-cut
“No person shall, for the duration of the period specified in a written notice issued under subsection (1) or (2), engage in the activities listed in subsection (1)”
The prohibition uses an objective list of activities and a defined period.
Discretion. Federal and Provincial Ministers hold joint power to issue or extend the prohibition for up to ten years after considering environmental, socio-economic and any other relevant factors.
Challenging the law itself. The text imposes a time-limited, geographically defined moratorium with no obvious engagement of section 2(b) or 7 Charter rights that would support a vagueness or overbreadth claim.
Disputing a charge under it. Once a notice is issued, the listed activities and the Schedule IV area are stated with sufficient clarity that a person would have difficulty disputing whether their conduct falls inside the prohibition.
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.