Will the Supreme Court Change C-69, The Impact Assessment Act?
by Deidra Garyk
I’ll see you in court!
This is becoming a common phrase from the Alberta UCP government as it defends the province’s rights to develop its natural resources free from interference from the federal government.
On March 21 and 22, 2022, the Alberta government was in front of the Supreme Court of Canada challenging the constitutionality of the federal Impact Assessment Act, also known as Bill C-69 and dubbed the “no more pipelines bill” when Jason Kenney ran the government and held the microphone.
The Impact Assessment Act overhauled the environmental review process and replaced the National Energy Board as the arbiter of the fate of certain, defined energy projects. It passed the gavel to the Government of Canada.
Today’s government is not a fan of fossil fuel development, but those who are cheering on the current form of the Act forget that who is in power inevitably changes. One day, the party in power may not like the projects they support. Then what?