Liberals reject Bloc proposal to split Bill C-5 to speed 'consensual' lifting of internal trade barriers
OTTAWA — Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon rejected the Bloc Québécois' proposal to split Bill C-5 in two parts, so that the sections on lifting internal trade barriers and the fast-tracking of major projects can be studied separately.
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Bloc House Leader Christine Normandin said earlier this week it made little sense that the bill, in its current form, would be sent to the House of Commons committee on transport as it falls under the mandate of Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland.
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Normandin instead suggested dividing the bill to study the portions on free trade and labour mobility in one committee and the fast-tracking of major projects in the national interest in another. She said the free trade portion is 'rather consensual' and could go 'a bit faster,' whereas the major projects portion would warrant more scrutiny.
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'This is a bill that responds to economic conditions caused by the tariff war, among other things, and mobilizes premiers, mobilizes Canadians from coast to coast to coast behind projects of national significance,' he said.
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'These projects have a certain urgency, as do interprovincial trade barriers that must fall,' he added. 'This is a very comprehensive bill. We understand that it's going to be debated, but it's something that we solicited and secured a mandate for.'
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said his intention is to see the bill passed before June 20, when the House of Commons rises and MPs return to their ridings for the summer.
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'It is a top priority for this government, and we will do everything to get it passed before the summer,' he said after C-5 was tabled on Friday. 'And if Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed. That's what Canadians expect.'
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MacKinnon said to date there is no consensus from other parties to sit into the summer.
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The part of the bill on lifting internal trade barriers would allow a good or service that meets provincial or territorial rules to have met federal requirements but also make it easier for workers to get a federal licence by recognizing provincial or territorial work authorizations.
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The second part, which is a bit more contentious, seeks to get projects deemed in the national interest — such as highways, pipelines, mines and nuclear facilities — built faster by having only one environmental assessment done and respecting federal conditions.
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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 Government House leader Steven MacKinnon put a motion on notice Thursday that would push Bill C-5 through the House of Commons by the end of next week — leaving just one day to hear from civil society groups, stakeholders and experts. Critics charge the move is anti-democratic. In a fiery exchange in question period, Bloc Quebecois House leader Christine Normandin accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of trying to 'steamroll' a bill through the House that would greatly expand his own powers. 'The prime minister has no right to impose C-5 under closure when the bill gives him exceptional powers unlike anything that we've seen before,' she said in French. 'Is that the prime minister's intention, to bypass Parliament and govern by decree like Donald Trump?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. MacKinnon pushed back by saying 'Canadians and Quebecers spoke loud and clear' in the last election for action to shore up the economy, in part due to the illegal trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. 'We are acting in a democratic way,' he said, noting the bill delivers on election promises laid out clearly in the Liberal platform. The bill includes controversial provisions that could allow cabinet to skirt existing processes and laws to fast-track approvals for projects the government deems to be in the national interest. The government aims to streamline disparate processes to limit approval timelines for big projects to a maximum of two years, boosting investor confidence. When asked about the timeline at a press conference Thursday, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the legislation needs to pass quickly to shore up an economy being undermined by Trump's tariffs. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We have a trade war that is affecting sector after sector after sector. Canadians' jobs are at risk. Canadians' livelihoods are at risk. And quite frankly, the prosperity of the country is at risk,' Hodgson said. But NDP MP Leah Gazan said in the House of Commons foyer Thursday that the bill isn't going to build the economy out because it will trigger a series of court challenges. She called on the government to extend the time frame of the public study and do more to consult with Indigenous Peoples _ something she said got shortchanged in the bill. 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