Article content continued

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna ultimately rejected the amendments.

Photo by John Mahoney/Postmedia

The legislation essentially widens the scope of project reviews, taking into consideration greenhouse gas emissions tied to projects, allowing more people to partake in public hearings, and creating an “early stage” review process to help pinpoint opposition to proposed developments.

Environmental groups, for their part, argue that the bill does not go far enough to restrict GHG-intensive projects. Many were critical of a decision by Ottawa to not subject certain oilsands projects to federal environmental assessments.

Some industry groups including the Mining Association of Canada essentially supported the bill, proposing only a few amendments.

But frustrations have been growing in Alberta and other provinces over the oil industry’s failure over the last decade to build major pipelines like Trans Mountain or Northern Gateway, which has in turn depressed prices for Canadian crude.

The bill, along with Bill C-48, which put into legislation a ban on oil tankers docking on the northern half of British Columbia’s coast, have helped inflame deep-lying resentments in the province. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney launched his promised legal challenge against the bill in September, saying it was “about respect for the fundamental law of the land, the constitution of Canada.”

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has said he would repeal Bill C-69 if his government wins power this election.

A spokesperson for Guilbeault’s campaign did not directly clarify his comments, but only said in a written response that regulatory changes during the Harper government “eroded public trust” in the review process for major projects.

Guilbeault has received plenty of media attention over the last year after he announced he would run for the Liberals, which some viewed as a contradiction after Ottawa purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline in 2018, causing dismay in the environmental community.