Opposition Parties Raise Concerns About Liberals’ Plan to Rush Adoption of Bill on Major Projects

As the Liberal government attempts to swiftly pass the One Canadian Economy Act before Canada Day, Conservative MPs called for amendments to be made to the legislation, while the Bloc Québécois criticized attempts to rush the bill as imposing a “gag order” on Parliament.

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon recently put forth a notice that would push Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, through the House of Commons by the end of next week. Liberal MPs have said the legislation must be passed before July 1 to bring down federal impediments to interprovincial trade barriers and speed up the process for approving major energy projects.

However, Conservatives called for amendments to the bill to ensure regulatory certainty and transparency about the projects that would be approved. “The Liberals will need to fix Bill C-5 and make it transparent, clear, and certain,” Conservative MP and energy critic Shannon Stubbs said on June 13.

Meanwhile, Bloc MPs raised concerns about the bill, saying it takes away power from the provinces, and that Parliamentary committees were only granted a day and a half to study the bill.

“Witnesses will appear before the committee without there being enough time to propose amendments at the end of the day,” Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said.

“That is madness, and yet that is what we are being asked to consider. It’s like they believe they’re a majority government.”

Bill C-5 seeks to bring down federal barriers to internal trade by stipulating that, when a barrier exists, a good or service that complies with “comparable provincial or territorial rules” will be deemed to satisfy the federal trade requirements in Canada. Businesses that follow comparable provincial and territorial rules will also see costs and delays reduced, and a new framework will be created to recognize provincial and territorial licences and certifications for workers.

The second part of the bill seeks to support the development of major projects that align with national interests, contingent upon discussions with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples. The bill would create a single assessment for projects and improve coordination of permitting alongside the provinces and territories, aiming to reduce approval times from five years to two.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the House of Commons that Canada is currently at a “hinge moment” due to the United States imposing steep tariffs and Canada having to look for other trade opportunities. “This is the time for us to choose together to build and to make a big change. It’s time for us to create our own economic destiny,” he said.

LeBlanc also said Bill C-5 would respect indigenous rights and that the projects would be approved in partnership with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities, and the government is currently setting up an indigenous advisory council to do so.

“We have a real opportunity now, across political parties and regions, to unite behind the idea of delivering, not delaying. Let’s remove the barriers that keep us locked in 13 separate economies instead of one growing, sustainable Canadian economy,” LeBlanc said.

Objections

Stubbs said that while Bill C-5 offered “all kinds of big promises,” the legislation is an admission that the Liberal government had prevented energy projects from being built over the last decade. “The real question is, will the Liberals’ Bill C-5 really clean up the colossal mess the Liberals themselves have made?” she asked.

According to Stubbs, the criteria for approving a project set out in the legislation are broad enough that “any interpretation or any argument could be made about each factor either way for any project,” which would cause even more uncertainty.

Stubbs said the Liberals must amend the legislation to clarify the definition of “national interest,” increase transparency around the project list, set a firm timeline for the cabinet’s final decision after recommendations, and apply the Conflict of Interest Act to vet politically connected insiders.

Bloc Leader Blanchet said the legislation would amount to the government interfering with provincial jurisdiction while ignoring environmental laws and indigenous rights, while also adopting aspects of the Conservative Party’s election plan. “This is a reckless approach, no matter what party you subscribe to. Quebecers did not vote for this,” he said.

Blanchet said Bill C-5 should be split into separate pieces of legislation, that more time should be spent studying the proposed legislation in committee, and that the government should be transparent and not be “silencing a parliament where they do not even have a majority [government].”

“Opposition MPs are elected to carry out oversight before handing the reins over to the government. We believe that if you examine legislation in detail, that is good for the public,” he said.

Government House Leader MacKinnon said Blanchet appeared to be “misreading the situation” and the government had been transparent about passing legislation removing interprovincial trade barriers during the election. He also said Quebecers are dealing with an economic crisis due to U.S. tariffs, and the bill would benefit them.

“You tabled the bill before the first of July, as you promised,” Blanchet responded. “What you did not promise was to trample all over the rules of democracy and ram things down our throat. You gave no one the details of a bill that suspends fundamental indigenous rights and biodiversity laws.”

Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Denis Garon also criticized the bill for giving LeBlanc “disproportionate power” to designate a project of national interest and then “force” federal environmental standards on provinces. “The effect will basically be that, through the federal government, a province will be able to legislate in the place of another province that is doing its job properly, like Quebec. So what’s the point of provinces?” he asked.

LeBlanc responded that MPs should be “careful before we define the responsibilities that this bill might confer on a minister,” and that Bloc MPs should be pleased that the legislation would result in the federal government cooperating with provinces like Quebec to quickly approve projects.

The New Democrats have also come out against the legislation, with NDP MP Leah Gazan saying in a statement that the bill undermines the democratic process, the rights of indigenous Canadians, and environmental protections.

“The NDP opposes this bill in its current form,” she said.