Six premiers tell Trudeau national unity would be threatened if bills C-48, C-69 become law

Six premiers asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday to change or bury two pieces of federal legislation that critics of both bills say could hurt Canada’s energy and natural resources sectors.

The two bills are C-69, legislation that would change the way regulatory authorities evaluate and assess proposed new major resources projects, and C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which, if passed, would turn into law into what has been practised for years: the prohibition of any oil tankers off of Canada’s northern B.C. coast.

Both bills have cleared third reading in the House of Commons, where the Liberals have the majority, and have just been scrutinized by the Senate, where the Independent Senators Group has the majority. The Senate drastically rewrote C-69 before returning it to the House of Commons. As for C-48, the Senate committee on energy, the environment and natural resources recommended that the legislation be spiked, but the full Senate rejected that recommendation on June 6 by a vote of 53-38.