QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
June 17, 2026
Thank you. I very much appreciate that. It was quite a shock to see that it looked as if we didn’t have this opportunity.
Senator Moreau, Canadians expect environmental assessments to be rigorous, transparent and truly independent, not a buddy system, but the government’s recent report, Getting Major Projects Built in Canada, proposes a dangerous handover of nuclear impact assessments of projects already in progress from the independent Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, or IAAC, to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
The track record of the commission is concerning. It is a proponent of the nuclear industry. It has never denied a licence, and some communities allege that it secretly authorized the transport of radioactive fuel waste across provinces. Litigation by some Indigenous communities on nuclear waste dumps is under way.
Senator Moreau, can your government explain how stripping assessment powers from the independent IAAC and handing them to an industry-dominated commission will protect Canadians?
There is a commitment from the government to make sure Canadians not only benefit from major projects everywhere in Canada but that those major projects will go through assessments beforehand. I am convinced the government will take into consideration whatever comments are made concerning a specific project when it does that.
It is possible to do two things — having major projects to make sure our economy is growing and protecting the environment — at the same time.
Senator Moreau, where are the accountability and transparency measures in this handover from an independent agency to safeguard our communities and maintain public trust when the agency that is now proposed to do the reviews is not independent?
The accountability of the government remains to the population. Everything that will be done concerning major projects will be going through consultation: consultation with First Nations, consultation with all the communities that are impacted by such a program. This will be broadly public, so that is where accountability remains.
