C-226 – National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act – would require the Minister of the Environment to establish a strategy to address environmental racism.
What is environmental racism? Basically it’s the idea that environmentally hazardous sites, such as landfills and polluting industries, tend to end up being established in areas inhabited by Indigenous, racialized, or other marginalized communities. Because these sites end up negatively affecting marginalized groups, it could be considered a form of racism if you ignore their input on the establishment of these sites.
The Minister will be expected to consult any groups that are relevant, including other ministers, other levels of government, and Indigenous communities, while developing the strategy. The strategy will need to include a study on the link between race, socio-economic status, and environmental risk as well as any information relating to the location of environmental hazards. It will also need to outline measures that can be taken to prevent environmental racism, include amendments to federal laws and policies, the involvement of community groups in environmental policy-making, compensation for groups affected, and the collection of information regarding health outcomes in communities located near these hazards.
The Minister will have two years to develop the strategy, and will need to report on its effectiveness every five years.
Votes
Second Reading
| Party | For | Against | Paired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 150 | 0 | 1 |
| Conservative | 0 | 115 | 1 |
| Bloc Quebecois | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| NDP | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Green Party | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Vote Notes
The Bloc is opposed to C-226 on the grounds that it’s a national strategy and is worried that it’s going to infringe on Quebec’s right to control its own environmental strategy. During the previous government there was a similar Bill working its way through the process, and after going to committee it came back with concessions respecting Quebec.
The Conservatives voted against it because they don’t believe the government will actually follow through on it.
Third Reading
| Party | For | Against | Paired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 150 | 0 | 2 |
| Conservative | 0 | 114 | 1 |
| Bloc Quebecois | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| NDP | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Green Party | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Vote Notes
No change here. C-226 came back unchanged by the committee so the Bloc is still opposed to it.