Senators voted on Thursday to save Ottawa’s controversial oil tanker ban, potentially ending a prolonged pushback in the Senate against legislation that has been met with intense criticism by Western provinces and the energy industry.
In a 53-38 vote, senators rejected the adoption of a report that would have effectively killed Bill C-48, the moratorium on oil tankers in northern B.C. waters. Also on Thursday, senators adopted a heavily-amended version of another contentious natural resources bill, C-69, which is now headed back to the House of Commons for review. The legislation would overhaul Canada’s environmental assessment process for major projects like oil pipelines and power lines.
Industry groups and some senators blasted the decision to salvage the tanker moratorium on Thursday. “The vast majority of Trudeau-appointed Senators have decided it is more important to support a bad Liberal bill than to listen to concerns from provincial governments from across the country,” Conservative senate caucus leader Larry Smith said in a statement.
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