First of all, we think this process is too hasty. It's impossible to conduct a consultation in two years if it has to take five years.

Among the recommendations we are proposing, our first priority would be to delete proposed sections 21 and 22 and paragraphs 23(a) and (b) of the act proposed in part 2 of Bill C-5.

Our second priority would be to clarify that the authorization document must meet the existing requirements of the responsible departments with respect to project approval and the exclusion of sections 73, 74 and 77 of the Species at Risk Act to ensure that the project will not compromise the survival and recovery of an endangered species or that its effects will be mitigated.

Our third priority would be the introduction of public participation requirements by adding section 8.1 to the proposed act in part 2 of the bill. This new section would require the minister to ensure that the public has an opportunity to meaningfully participate in any decision made under subsections 5(1), 5(3), 7(1), 8(1) and 8(2) of the proposed act.

We also want the minister to be required to make available to the public all relevant information, including a detailed project description, any information received from a proponent and any other federal minister, any information received from a regulatory body referred to in clauses 9, 10, 11 and 15 of the proposed act in part 2 of the bill, any comments received from the public, and any knowledge or information received from indigenous peoples, to the extent that the person providing that knowledge or information did not stipulate that it was confidential.

All of our amendments are in the document we submitted in collaboration with Ecojustice on parts 1 and 2 of the bill.

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