Environmental laws are the backbone of conservation. We need environmental laws because ecosystems collapse, species disappear, and communities are harmed when decisions are made without science, accountability, or limits.
That is why the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA), alongside environmental organizations and democracy advocates across Canada, is raising the alarm about dangerous clauses buried deep inside Bill C-15, the federal Budget Implementation Act, 2025.
These clauses would hand federal ministers the power to exempt corporations and other entities from complying with most federal laws, including environmental protections, behind closed doors and without Parliamentary approval.
This is not routine housekeeping. It is a fundamental rewrite of how environmental law and democratic oversight function in Canada — and it is being pushed through an omnibus budget bill.
The ministerial exemption clauses in Part 5, Division 5 of Bill C-15 can still be stopped, but only if there is visible and immediate public pressure.
Bill C-15 has already passed second reading in the House of Commons and is now at the committee stage, where amendments can still be made. Once committee review is complete, the bill can move quickly to final votes in the House and then the Senate, meaning the window for public influence is real but limited and closing.
That is why we are urging people to act now by writing to federal decision-makers and demanding that environmental laws remain subject to full Parliamentary oversight.
The Clauses at Issue: Part 5, Division 5 (Sections 203–209)
Part 5, Division 5 of Bill C-15 authorizes a federal minister to exempt any “entity,” defined broadly to include corporations, individuals, and governments, from the application of any Act of Parliament that the minister administers, with the sole exception of the Criminal Code.
These clauses allow exemptions to be justified using vague criteria such as innovation, competitiveness, or economic growth. They do not require Parliamentary approval, cannot be revoked or amended by Parliament once granted, and are subject only to weak and discretionary transparency requirements.
In effect, these clauses allow laws passed by elected representatives to be selectively suspended behind closed doors, on a case-by-case basis.
Why These Clauses Matter for the Environment
Environmental laws exist to prevent harm before it occurs. They establish consistent, science-based standards that apply regardless of political pressure or economic interests. This predictability is essential for addressing the global biodiversity and climate crises.
Part 5, Division 5 undermines that foundation.
Allowing selective exemptions turns environmental protection from a legal requirement into a discretionary political choice. Environmental harm becomes negotiable rather than prohibited.
Cumulative impacts are ignored, even though biodiversity loss and climate change are driven by the accumulation of many individual decisions. Project-by-project exemptions fail to address these combined effects.
Canada’s climate and biodiversity commitments are weakened in practice because domestic environmental laws are the mechanisms that make international promises real.
High-impact industrial and infrastructure projects are most likely to benefit from exemptions justified on economic growth grounds, precisely because they carry the largest ecological footprint.
Over time, regulatory certainty erodes for everyone, weakening environmental governance as a whole.
At a moment when scientists warn of accelerating species extinction, ecosystem destabilization, and climate tipping points, creating new pathways to sidestep environmental law is reckless.
Impacts on Canada’s Biodiversity and Climate Commitments
Canada has committed, through international biodiversity and climate agreements and domestic strategies, to halt biodiversity loss, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect ecosystems that sustain life.
The federal environmental statutes affected by Bill C-15 are the primary tools for translating those commitments into enforceable action.
Part 5, Division 5 risks hollowing out Canada’s commitments from within, undermining its ability to meet its goals and its credibility as a global environmental leader.
Democracy, Environmental Protection, and the Rule of Law
Environmental protection cannot be separated from democracy. Respect for Indigenous rights and title, consent-based decision-making, and meaningful reconciliation all depend on clear, enforceable legal frameworks, not exemptions granted after the fact.
Democratic accountability likewise depends on Parliament’s authority to debate, amend, and approve changes to the law. Embedding sweeping executive powers deep inside an omnibus budget bill is not efficiency; it is democratic erosion.
Healthy ecosystems and healthy democracies rely on the same principles: transparency, accountability, and limits on concentrated power.
Protecting Nature Requires Protecting Democracy
The climate and biodiversity crises can’t be solved by weakening the rule of law.
When environmental protections can be quietly suspended, everyone loses – ecosystems, communities, and future generations. These clauses deserve scrutiny, opposition, and removal.
We urge readers to write directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne, and local Member of Parliament Patrick Weiler, asking them to remove the ministerial exemption clauses in Part 5, Division 5 of Bill C-15 and ensure that environmental laws remain subject to full Parliamentary oversight.
Personal messages matter. This is a moment to speak up, before the final votes are cast.
TAKE ACTION NOW
The ministerial exemption clauses in Part 5, Division 5 (sections 203–209) of Bill C-15 can still be removed — but only if elected officials hear from the public as soon as possible.
Bill C-15 has passed second reading and is currently at the committee stage. Once committee review is complete, the bill could move quickly to final votes in the House of Commons and the Senate. This means the window for public influence is real, but limited.
We urge readers to write to federal decision-makers ASAP and demand that these clauses be removed and that environmental laws remain subject to full Parliamentary oversight.
Please write to:
Standing Committee on Finance (FINA)
FINA@parl.gc.ca
Prime Minister Mark Carney
mark.carney@parl.gc.ca
pm@pm.gc.ca
Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne
francois-philippe.champagne@parl.gc.ca
fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca
Local Member of Parliament, Patrick Weiler
Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca
You do not need to write a long email. Short, personal messages are effective. You can personalize your note by explaining who you are and why environmental protection, democratic accountability, and the rule of law matter to you.
Copy / Paste Talking Points
- Please remove the ministerial exemption clauses in Part 5, Division 5 (sections 203–209) of Bill C-15 and ensure that environmental laws remain subject to full Parliamentary oversight.
- These clauses would allow ministers to exempt selected entities from most federal laws, including environmental protections, for up to six years without Parliamentary approval.
- Environmental laws exist to prevent harm before it occurs; allowing them to be bypassed turns protection into a discretionary political decision.
- Project-by-project exemptions undermine Canada’s ability to address cumulative biodiversity loss and climate impacts.
- Major changes to environmental law should be debated transparently in Parliament, not embedded in an omnibus budget bill and applied through ministerial orders.
This is a critical moment. Please take a few minutes to send your message today.
What Laws Could Be Affected — and Why That Matters
Because Part 5, Division 5 allows ministers to exempt entities from any Act of Parliament they administer, the potential scope of impact is extremely broad. Some of the most consequential federal environmental laws that could be affected are outlined below.
| Federal Legislation | What the Law Does | Why It Matters — and What Could Happen if It’s Bypassed |
| Impact Assessment Act (IAA) | Requires major projects to assess environmental, health, climate, and social impacts before approval, including public participation, Indigenous consultation, and cumulative effects. | Impact assessment is one of the primary tools for preventing irreversible harm before decisions are made. Exemptions could allow projects to proceed without full analysis of ecosystem damage, climate impacts, or public scrutiny. |
| Species at Risk Act (SARA) | Protects endangered and threatened species and their critical habitat, and requires recovery strategies. | Species extinction is irreversible. Exemptions could lead to the destruction of critical habitat or the disruption of recovery efforts, accelerating biodiversity loss at a global scale. |
| Fisheries Act | Prohibits serious harm to fish and fish habitat, including pollution and flow alteration. | Fish are keystone species supporting aquatic food webs. Weakening protections can trigger cascading ecological impacts across freshwater and marine ecosystems. |
| Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) | Canada’s core pollution-prevention law regulates toxic substances and environmental health risks. | Exemptions could increase exposure to toxic substances, undermining long-term environmental and public health protections. |
| Migratory Birds Convention Act | Implements international agreements protecting migratory birds, nests, and eggs. | Migratory birds cross borders and ecosystems. Weakening protections in one country undermines international conservation efforts and contributes to global species decline. |
| Canada Wildlife Act | Enables federal protection of wildlife and nationally significant ecosystems. | Exemptions could weaken safeguards for ecosystems critical to biodiversity and climate resilience. |
| Canada Water Act | Supports federal–provincial cooperation to protect water quality and manage water resources. | Exemptions risk undermining coordinated water protection amid increasing climate-driven water stress. |