Bill C-28 An Act to Amend the Aeronautics Act and other Acts
C-28 An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act and other Acts
Short Title: Canadian Space Launch Act
Bill Type: House Government Bill
Bill Sponsor: Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Status: Introduced — 1st Reading, April 21, 2026. This bill has not passed yet. How would you vote?
WHO GAINS POWER
- The Minister of Transport gains authority to issue, renew, suspend and cancel permits and certificates for space launches and re-entries in Canada
- The Minister can order an emergency stop on any launch or re-entry activity for safety or security reasons — no tribunal review required
- Cabinet (Governor in Council) gains the power to define key terms like "launch vehicle" and "re-entry vehicle" by regulation — without a Parliamentary vote
- The Minister decides when it is "in the public interest" to indemnify private space companies against third-party liability — entirely at their discretion
- The Minister can exempt operators from financial responsibility requirements and can adjust their minimum liability amounts downward — also at their discretion
- Cabinet can declare land a designated launch or re-entry site and override provincial land use decisions if the Minister deems it necessary
WHO LOSES POWER
- The Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada — launch and re-entry permit decisions are removed from its review jurisdiction
- Parliament — core definitions and the entire financial responsibility regime are handed to Cabinet to set by regulation
- Provinces and municipalities — the Minister can override local land use rules around certified launch and re-entry sites if no agreement is reached, or immediately if the Minister decides it is necessary
- Landowners — land can be designated for a launch or re-entry site while expropriation proceedings are underway, restricting how it can be used before ownership even transfers
WHO GAINS MONEY
- Private space launch and re-entry companies — the Minister can indemnify them against third-party liability, shifting financial risk to taxpayers
- Operators who receive exemptions or downward adjustments to their minimum financial responsibility requirements
WHO LOSES MONEY
- Canadian taxpayers — on the hook for third-party damages if the Minister grants indemnification to a private operator
- Third parties harmed by a launch or re-entry incident, who must navigate a new liability regime to seek compensation
- Landowners near designated launch or re-entry sites whose land use is restricted or expropriated
THE CATCH
- ⚠️ "Launch vehicle" and "re-entry vehicle" are not permanently defined in the Act — Cabinet defines them by regulation and can change those definitions at any time without a Parliamentary vote
- ⚠️ Appeal tribunal oversight is removed — decisions about launch and re-entry permits cannot be appealed to the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada
- ⚠️ Taxpayer indemnification is discretionary — the Minister alone decides when covering a private company's liability is "in the public interest" with no defined criteria in the Bill
- ⚠️ The Minister can lower a company's financial responsibility floor — the same Minister who can indemnify a company can also reduce the minimum amount that company must be able to pay if something goes wrong
- ⚠️ The entire financial responsibility regime is set by regulation — who pays what when a launch or re-entry causes damage is not written into the law itself
- The Explosives Act takes precedence over launch vehicle regulations — creating a jurisdictional overlap that could affect how incidents are handled