Regulatory sandboxes: Liberals accept Conservative budget amendments

The Liberals accepted Conservative-backed amendments to add consultation, reporting and approval requirements around proposed "regulatory sandboxes" in Bill C-15, and to exclude certain laws from being overridden while MPs continued a clause-by-clause review at the finance committee under a tight timetable.

The Liberal government accepted Conservative amendments on Monday to add guardrails around proposed new cabinet powers inside its budget implementation bill. Bill C-15 would give federal ministers the ability to temporarily exempt individuals or corporations from some non-criminal federal laws, an approach the government calls "regulatory sandboxes." Several MPs and party leaders raised concerns about the breadth of those powers during a finance committee meeting where members were examining the bill clause by clause. The committee is working under a compressed schedule to consider more than 600 clauses in the legislation. Known details: - The accepted amendments require ministers to consult with Canadians before ordering any legal exemptions and to report back to Parliament. - Amendments would require approval from both a cabinet minister and the president of the Treasury Board before an individual or corporation can be shielded from a law. - The changes explicitly state that certain laws, including the Conflict of Interest Act and the Access to Information Act, cannot be overridden. - Conservative MP Sandra Cobena introduced the amendments, and Liberal committee members voted to back them. - Interim NDP leader Don Davies and Green Leader Elizabeth May attended the committee and voiced concerns about the proposal. - The finance committee scheduled lengthy meetings and must report back to the House under a fast-tracked timeline. Summary: The amendments add consultation, reporting and dual-approval requirements and limit the ability to override specified laws. MPs are continuing a clause-by-clause review under a fast-tracked timetable, and the finance committee must report back to the House by Wednesday. Final vote timing on Bill C-15 is undetermined at this time.