Thursday, June 13, 2024

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance has the honour to present its

SEVENTEENTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-59, An Act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 21, 2023 and certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 28, 2023, has, in obedience to the order of reference of Tuesday, June 4, 2024, examined the said bill and now reports the same without amendment but with certain observations, which are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

Observations to the seventeenth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance (Bill C-59)

The Committee notes that a meaningful proportion of industry players active in Canada have made real efforts to support the move to a net-zero economy and to differentiate their products and firms on this basis. These legitimate efforts should not be deterred or impeded, for fears of the unintended consequences of the pursuit of greenwashing actions.

Your committee believes that meaningful consultation by the Competition Bureau, to set out clear guidelines in this area, is important, and for any private right of action to be informed by such guidelines as to what may be considered deceptive in the area of environmental pursuits.

Furthermore, while clause 236 (1) of Bill C-59 notes the importance of internationally recognized methodology to substantiate such claims, the Committee believes that the analysis should also include federal and other Canadian best practices, such as those set out by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Since the government has identified housing and food affordability as priorities in Bill C-59, it must ensure its policy decisions are supported by adequate implementation of the bill’s proposed tax fairness measures and that they effectively address income security and inclusion for Canadians experiencing financial instability and most in need.