Senate could vote on controversial major projects bill today
Prime Minister Mark Carney is joined by members of his cabinet and caucus as he speaks at a news conference in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa after Bill C-5 passed in the House. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA — The Senate could vote today on Prime Minister Mark Carney's controversial major projects bill, legislation that would give the federal government the power to fast-track projects it hopes will bolster the economy.
The bill, which moved swiftly through the House of Commons, is subject to a programming motion in the Senate — meaning it has to be voted on by tomorrow.
Bill C-5 has faced heavy opposition over the speed of its passage through Parliament and the sweeping new powers it would give the government.
Carney has said the bill is needed to fast-track 'nation-building projects' in the face of an economic crisis triggered by the trade war with the United States.
The government has defended its decision to ram the bill through, pointing to its federal election win as evidence that Canadians support its agenda.
But critics calling for a deeper review of the bill have argued there's no need to rush it through because proposed fast-track projects won't start work before Parliament returns from its summer break.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
22 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Carney government's ‘nation-building' bill passes in Senate despite criticism
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's controversial legislation to fast-track 'nation-building' development projects is on its way to becoming law, after the rushed passage of Bill C-5 cleared third reading in the Senate on Thursday. But the progress of the legislation — the first government bill to pass in both chambers under the minority Liberal administration elected April 28 — was marred by expressions of outrage from some senators, who criticized the legislation's creation of 'so-called Henry VIII' powers that allow the federal cabinet to override laws and regulations to approve development projects. Some also condemned what they saw as the bill's lack of consultation and requirements to respect Indigenous rights, suggesting the new process could get bogged down in the very opposition and delay that it is designed to avoid.
CTV News
28 minutes ago
- CTV News
North Bay mayor says he won't resign over expenses controversy
North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico held a last-minute news conference Thursday afternoon to call for an investigation into his expenses by the city's integrity commissioner. (File) North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico held a last-minute news conference Thursday afternoon to call for an investigation into his expenses by the city's integrity commissioner. Chirico said he has no intention of resigning and said he has done nothing wrong, according to city spokesperson Gord Young. The mayor has been under fire in recent weeks after the city's standard financial oversight processes flagged his use of a corporate credit card for a number of personal expenses. Charges from 2023-2024 According to reports, about $16,000 in personal expenses were charged to his corporate card. In a statement to CTV News on June 13, Chirico said that in 2023 and 2024, a number of expenses charged to his corporate credit card were flagged and reviewed and that all expenses were submitted through 'appropriate channels.' Chirico said expenses that were deemed personal, including some that fell into a 'grey area,' were fully repaid. On Thursday, he called for a full investigation into the matter by North Bay's integrity commissioner Guy Giorno to clear the air. Chirico declined requests for an interview Thursday from CTV News Northern Ontario, but said he would be available to talk next week.
31 minutes ago
Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill passes Senate — but not without Indigenous pushback
The Senate passed Prime Minister Mark Carney's landmark 'nation-building' projects bill unamended Thursday, giving the federal government extraordinary new powers to fast-track initiatives that have the potential to boost the economy as Canada grapples with the U.S. trade war. Carney's cabinet can now streamline the approvals process by allowing some projects to bypass provisions of federal laws like the Impact Assessment Act, which has long been criticized as a hindrance to getting things approved in a timely manner. While the legislation doesn't dictate what should be built, Carney has signalled it could be used to greenlight new energy corridors in the east and west, including possible pipelines and electricity grids, new and expanded port facilities, mines and other resource-related initiatives. Carney has framed the legislation as a way for Canada to fight back against American trade aggression, which has already stunted economic growth, prompted job loss and caused exports to drop. While the bill was approved by members of the Red Chamber, some senators strenuously opposed it, most of them citing Indigenous rights as the reason. Some members proposed amendments that would have delayed the bill's passage if adopted, but all were voted down. The legislation itself states the government will recognize, affirm and respect Indigenous Peoples' constitutional rights when considering a project to fast-track. But there's a fear among some leaders that the consultation process with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities will be inadequate given Carney campaigned on making final decisions within a two-year timeline. These leaders want protections for what's called free, prior and informed consent in the Indigenous legal sphere. Paul Prosper, a Mi'kmaw senator from Nova Scotia, led the charge against the legislation in a speech to the chamber Thursday, quoting other First Nations leaders who called C-5 not reconciliation but a betrayal of it. While saying he generally supports development, Prosper said he didn't want to quickly pass a bill that has been panned by some Indigenous leaders as the product of inadequate consultation with affected communities. WATCH | C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation: Prosper: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Bill C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation, says Sen. Prosper in speech Sen. Paul Prosper rose in the Senate chamber Thursday to speak against the way Bill C-5 is moving through Parliament. Prosper says the Liberal major projects bill is being rushed and the government has failed to properly consult Indigenous stakeholders. He said the bill may empower government and industry to run roughshod over Indigenous rights when building a project. No one wants to watch our children grow up in squalor, with no access to clean drinking water, no opportunity for good-paying jobs and no support for our sick and dying. However, we do not want success and progress to come on the backs of Indigenous Peoples. We want to be at the table, making decisions alongside Canadian politicians, because these decisions affect us. They affect our lands and resources, Prosper said. Prosper said it's the Senate's job to stand up for regional and minority interests and there's no reason to charge ahead after relatively little time to study C-5's provisions and the possible consequences. Prosper said his office has faced racist and abusive telephone calls in the days since he announced he would try to amend C-5 or slow it down. The racist vitriol and threats my office experienced was so intense, staff asked for permission to not pick up unknown phone calls. That isn't right and it isn't acceptable, he said. WATCH | What is Bill C-5?: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? What is Bill C-5 and what might it mean for trade and pipelines? The federal bill takes aim at trade barriers between provinces and should make it easier to build big infrastructure projects. Some hope the bill will translate into pipeline development, but there is notable opposition to the legislation as well. Brian Francis, a Mi'kmaw senator from P.E.I., said there's no guarantee the promised economic benefits for fast-tracking projects will be fairly shared with Indigenous Peoples. He said rushing through the bill could ultimately delay projects because of the potential for Indigenous-led lawsuits. Are we truly in a crisis that warrants such exceptional and unprecedented measures? Francis asked. Other senators questioned whether so quickly passing C-5 was necessary. Speaking of the economic threats, Sen. Bernadette Clement said: This sometimes feels like an emergency, but is it? Growing our economy, nation-building. Yeah, that's urgent, it requires a timely and efficient response, but it doesn't require the trampling of Indigenous rights and our environmental protections, she said. In an address to the Toronto Board of Trade, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said C-5 is a nation-defining piece of legislation that will stand up a major projects office to move projects along quickly. Under this new regime, reviews will be focused on 'how' the project will be built as opposed to 'whether' it will be built, to give proponents more certainty about investing in Canada, he said. This act allows us to reset that narrative about building in Canada — so we can go from delay to delivery, he said. We find ourselves in the middle of the most devastating trade war of our lifetimes. A trade war we did not ask for, but a trade war we must win. John Paul Tasker (new window) · CBC News
