Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk has strong words for the Senate’s decision on Bill C-48. The upper chamber had the chance to kill a contentious bill that would impose a moratorium on tankers along northern British Columbia, however, it has passed second reading.
Senators voted 53-38 to reject a committee report that recommended that Bill C-48 be scrapped. One senator abstained, and the legislation will now proceed to third reading in the Senate. Falk believes that the participation of independent senators in allowing C-48 is the smoking gun for a plan by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“I think something is interesting, what the Senate has done, is that this reiterates and is proof that the ‘Independent’ senators, that Justin Trudeau appointed, are not actually independent,” says Falk. “They’re actually Liberals that are working with the Liberals. They’re not actually thinking and doing things for themselves with free votes. They’re kind of doing whatever the government tells them to.”
The Senate’s transportation and communications committee wrote a scathing report of the legislation. After hearing testimony from many communities across Canada, the committee’s report believes the bill was a direct attack on the Alberta economy. It also believes the bill would divide the country and stoke separatist sentiment in western Canada.
Falk believes that Trudeau has a habit of dividing Canadians. During Question Period in the House of Commons, Falk alleges a Parliamentary Secretary stand and allude to the Saskatchewan premier suing the fires and floods being exacerbated by climate change. She argues this was deeply inappropriate and shows the Liberals’ contempt for other levels of government.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s municipal, provincial or federal. People are elected by the people, and the people never get it wrong, or else they would vote differently. Just the lack of respect that this government shows for provincial jurisdiction.”
The bill would have been dead on the Senate floor if the committee’s report was accepted. It will now be granted third reading and will likely see amendments proposed by the Senate. Falk is skeptical the amendments will make a difference because the Liberal government will be able to choose which amendments they will include.
“I know a lot of the amendments that we had brought forward, from the Conservative opposition, were rejected and voted down in the house. So I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened. One thing I can tell you is that a future Conservative government led by Andrew Scheer will repeal this piece of legislation and open up the northwest coast there.”
Falk affirms that a Conservative government will also repeal Bill C-69, the legislation to overhaul environmental impact assessments, and the federal carbon tax.