C-33Strengthening the Port System and Railway Safety in Canada Act
An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on November 17, 2022
- Status
- Defeated at report stage in the House of Commons
What it does
Changes port, rail, marine and transport rules, and gives the transport minister more powers over security, safety and port oversight.
What it does
- Requires people in possession or control of imported goods, on request, to make them available for examination and deliver them to a secure area that meets regulations.
- Changes rail rules to treat safety as including security, ban interference with railway work or equipment that threatens safety, and ban harmful or unruly behaviour at stations and on trains.
- Lets the minister order railway companies to fix security problems, grant, refuse, suspend or cancel transportation security clearances, strengthen penalties, and requires a review every five years.
- Requires people who import, offer for transport, handle or transport regulated goods to register with the minister, gives the minister powers to manage safety risks, and creates a penalty regime.
- Updates marine security rules to allow agreements with organizations, set rules on threats to people’s health, information sharing and vessel exclusion zones, and let the minister make interim orders and emergency directions.
- Updates transport and marine laws to allow electronic decisions and remote entry, lower the notice threshold for some port transactions, assign traffic management duties to port authorities, and require advisory committees and climate change plans.
Who it affects
- Importers of goods
- Railway companies
- Rail passengers and workers
- People handling regulated goods
- Marine operators
- Port authorities
- Companies in port transactions
Background
Introduced in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022. It amends the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Defeated here. Defeated
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act
Vote 411,
Passed
212 yeato114 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 411 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 153 0 5 Conservative Nay 0 114 3 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 23 0 2 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 3 0 0 Total 212 114 2nd reading of Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act (reasoned amendment)
Vote 410,
Failed
116 yeato209 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 410 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay1 broke ranks 1 151 6 Conservative Yea 114 0 3 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Nay 0 23 2 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay1 broke ranks 1 2 0 Total 116 209 Time allocation for Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act
Vote 367,
Passed
174 yeato147 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 367 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 149 0 7 Conservative Nay 0 113 2 Bloc Nay 0 30 2 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay1 broke ranks 1 2 0 Total 174 147
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalOmar Alghabra· March 10, 2023
“One of the many ways we are taking action is with Bill C-33, the strengthening the port system and railway safety in Canada act. Bill C-33 would modernize Canada's transportation system, making it more sustainable, competitive and resilient.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeMark Strahl· March 10, 2023
“We do not see enough of what was in the supply chain report in this bill. This is the first opportunity the government has had to show it was listening to that report, and we just do not see it.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocGabriel Ste-Marie· June 8, 2023
“Obviously, we will vote in favour of the principle of the bill. Furthermore, the Auditor General's recent audits, the Railway Safety Act review of 2018 and the studies done by the Standing Committee on Transport describe safety concerns with freight transportation.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPNiki Ashton· June 8, 2023
“I rise in the House to share the NDP's support at this time for this bill at second reading, with the clear understanding that there are some major shortcomings with Bill C-33 and that there have to be substantive amendments made going forward.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caGreenElizabeth May· September 20, 2024
“It is a great honour for me to rise this morning to speak to Bill C-33. I would like to begin by thanking my dear colleague, the member for Richmond—Arthabaska, for supporting my amendments this morning.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: At report stage in the House of Commons. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.