logo
Liberal MP wants to see major projects bill amended, studied further

Liberal MP wants to see major projects bill amended, studied further

OTTAWA – Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith says he wants the House of Commons to sit for another week to study Prime Minister Mark Carney's major projects bill.
Erskine-Smith was the only Liberal to vote against his own government's closure motion, which limits debate time on Bill C-5.
The Liberals and Conservatives passed a closure motion on Monday that will push the bill through the House of Commons this week.
Smith says he's never seen a bill of this magnitude pushed through the House at such a pace in his ten years as a Toronto-area MP.
He says he supports getting new projects built quickly but wants to see the bill studied more thoroughly and amended to remove contentious clauses that grant the executive more power.
He says he will only support the bill if it's amended because he worries it would set a 'dangerous precedent' and enable a future Conservative government to 'gut environmental protections.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Valérie Plante says she and Prime Minister Mark Carney share the same priorities
Valérie Plante says she and Prime Minister Mark Carney share the same priorities

Global News

timean hour ago

  • Global News

Valérie Plante says she and Prime Minister Mark Carney share the same priorities

See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says she and Prime Minister Mark Carney are aligned on priorities including public transportation and housing. Plante and Carney met at Montreal City Hall for the first time since Carney was elected in April. Montreal's mayor told reporters after the meeting that the two had productive discussions and formed a strong rapport. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Carney did not answer questions from reporters. The prime minister is spending the day in Quebec, where he is also scheduled to meet with business leaders and Premier François Legault. The federal government is confirming that Quebec will receive $557.5 million this year for infrastructure projects through the Canada community-building fund, with nearly $84 million allocated to Montreal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.

Poilievre calls on federal government to classify Bishnoi gang as terror entity
Poilievre calls on federal government to classify Bishnoi gang as terror entity

Toronto Sun

time2 hours ago

  • Toronto Sun

Poilievre calls on federal government to classify Bishnoi gang as terror entity

Published Aug 20, 2025 • 1 minute read Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks in front of workers at EnQuest Energy Solutions in Calgary on Aug. 7, 2025. (Brent Calver, Postmedia) SURREY, B.C. — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is the latest politician calling for the federal government to designate the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account His call on a visit to Surrey, B.C., came after RCMP in the city announced last month they had made two arrests in an investigation into extortion targeting the South Asian business community. Police have linked some extortion cases back to the gang, whose leader Lawrence Bishnoi is in prison in India. Poilievre says a terror designation will be part of a tough-on-crime push the Conservatives will make during the fall session of Parliament. He says the move would help police and prosecutors deal with an international extortion group that's been active in Surrey as well as cities including Calgary and Brampton. Poilievre says his party is also pushing to increase mandatory prison sentences for extortion, starting with a four-year sentence for the first offence. 'Our plan repeals catch-and-release bail, brings in mandatory jail time for repeat offenders, and ensures that we have a ban on the Bishnoi terrorists, so that this network of extortionists and terrorists are automatically criminalized,' he told a news conference. In June, B.C. Premier David Eby asked the federal government to declare the gang a terrorist organization, a call repeated by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith last month. Read More Toronto & GTA Columnists Ontario Celebrity Sunshine Girls

B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs
B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs

Vancouver Sun

time2 hours ago

  • Vancouver Sun

B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs

The B.C. Conservatives have demanded the NDP government provide a 'clear' status update on a four-year-old review that urged changes to the province's expensive rare-disease drug system. They have also called for the public release of the review and timelines for implementing its recommendations. The review — which was not made public — was obtained by Postmedia independently after the B.C. government refused to provide a copy. 'The leak of this four-year-old review is frustrating — but it confirms exactly what we've been saying since February,' said Brennan Day, the Conservative critic for rural and seniors' health. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Families like Charleigh Pollock's were left in the dark, forced to fight for life-changing treatments while bureaucrats sat on recommendations that could have prevented this. Transparency is not a website. It's real oversight, real engagement, and a system that works for patients — not just for the bureaucracy,' said Day, who is the MLA for Courtenay-Comox. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne have called for an overhaul of the expensive drug treatment for rare diseases approval process after their government faced public backlash for discontinuing the $800,000-a-year drug treatment for 10-year-old Pollock, who has an incurable degenerative disease. When the government reversed their decision last month — against the advice of its own 58-member advisory committee — Eby said it was obvious the system was not working. But the B.C. government had already received recommendations in 2021 for better transparency, clearer communication and stronger decision-making when it comes to funding and treating rare diseases with expensive drugs. These are the same areas that Eby and Osborne said need to be addressed. The review noted there was 'urgency' to making changes because spending on expensive rare-disease drugs was expected to grow significantly , to an estimated $600 million annually by the end of the decade. Day said the NDP government should release the full 2021 review with a status update on what has and hasn't been implemented. He also called for a public timeline to fully implement the outstanding recommendations, prioritizing oversight, transparency and patient engagement. Day also said that families need to be included in conversations and decisions that directly affect access to their expensive rare-disease drug treatments. Few of the 2021 review's recommendations have been implemented, according to those familiar with the report. The B.C. Ministry of Health has told Postmedia the 'majority' of the report's recommendations have been implemented or 'are part of ongoing work.' However, officials pointed only to only two that have been completed out of more than 300 recommendations: an expensive drug for rare disease web page it said supports transparency; and the establishment of an appeal process. The recommendations on transparency in the report — there are 39 mentions — go well beyond a website. They also involve increasing oversight, setting standards, establishing public engagement and a major communication plan. ghoekstra@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store