Commentary
When it comes to economically destructive federal policies, it’s getting ever-harder to keep track.
Among these, still firmly on the books, is the federal government’s “anti-greenwashing bill” C-59, amended by Bill C-15, which is reducing investment and the potential for well-paid jobs.
The original C-59 contained the requirement that businesses substantiate their environmental credentials according to “internationally recognized methodology”—a formulation clearly open to interpretation. C-15 substituted the equally vague requirement of “adequate and proper substantiation,” which still leaves companies vulnerable to reputational risk and litigation.
Not only do these bills exacerbate economic uncertainty and investment skittishness; they silence debate. They also fundamentally alter the federal Competition Act by imposing a reverse burden of proof. This forces businesses to defend statements in an environmental claim dispute—rather than requiring courts to prove deception, which is a much higher evidentiary threshold….