CCA Advocacy: Removal of Proposed Amendments to Bill C-59 - Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023

Action:

CCA has submitted a letter to the Senate over concern with the proposed amendments to the Act regarding public representations about protecting or restoring the environment or climate change mitigation.

Reason:

These amendments would place a reverse onus on businesses to prove their representations on the basis of vague and undefined “internationally-recognized methodologies.”

There are a few concerns with the amendments:

1.    They were introduced in a non-transparent manner without any meaningful study, debate, or scrutiny, which could have unintended consequences not only for the beef cattle industry, but also for the Canadian agri-food sector and the greater Canadian economy.

2.    It is unclear what “internationally-recognized methodologies” means. In some cases, these do not exist as the science is evolving, or they do not accurately reflect the Canadian context, potentially putting Canada at a competitive disadvantage.

Recommendation:

CCA urges the Senate to remove the proposed amendments to Bill C-59 and study those amendments further so the impact and unintended consequences can be more fully understood as it affects Canada’s economy and global reputation.