'We have to get that balance right': Liberal MPs express worries about major projects bill
OTTAWA — More progressive Liberal MPs expressed cautious concerns about their government's decision to ram through the internal trade and major projects bill in a matter of days, with some of them saying it could lead to legal issues down the road.
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Bill C-5 would give the federal government sweeping powers for five years to quickly approve natural resource and infrastructure projects once they are deemed to be in the national interest — sparking criticism from First Nations and environmental groups.
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Those concerns have been heard loud and clear and, in some cases, have resonated with some Liberal MPs. The bill is being studied and will be amended in a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, before it makes its way back to the House of Commons for a final vote Friday.
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Earlier this week, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said his government 'is proposing to shut down democratic debate, curtail committee scrutiny and jam the bill through the legislature,' all which he said would make former prime minister Stephen Harper 'blush.'
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'Liberals would rightly scream if a federal Conservative government attempted the same,' he said in a speech to the House on Monday.
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B.C. MP Patrick Weiler also urged parliamentarians to consider how this bill 'could be used in bad faith by a future government' given those powers will be in place for five years.
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A few Liberals expressed discomfort at the idea that some Indigenous groups said C-5 could potentially violate their treaty rights and that it does not clearly define the need for them to give free, prior and informed consent for projects taking place on their lands.
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'There is a clear desire on the part of Canadians to be able to get big projects done in this country,' said Karina Gould, a former leadership contestant and current MP. 'But there is a duty and an obligation to ensure that Indigenous rights holders are part of this process.'
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'We have to get that balance right, because if you don't, the government will be facing court challenges,' she added.
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The warning has been issued by First Nations groups, including Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict who represents 133 First Nations across the province and said he would support them however they see necessary, whether it be in the courts or with protests.
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'Obviously, we have to talk. We have to have those conversations, and we have to assure that Indigenous participation is included all the way through. And I think that will be the job ahead of us for the summer,' said Brendan Hanley, the Liberal MP for Yukon.
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