Carney pitches major project powers to skeptical First Nations as advancing 'Indigenous economic growth'
GATINEAU, Que. — Prime Minister Mark Carney entered a high-stakes meeting with First Nations leaders Thursday, touting his government's new law to fast-track major infrastructure projects as having 'Indigenous economic growth' at its heart, saying he believes consensus can be reached on how to move forward.
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Whether Carney's pitch lands with the more than 200 chiefs and other First Nations leaders who attended the gathering remains to be seen, given the vocal pushback the law, known as Bill C-5, has received over concerns about its impact on First Nations' territories and the legal obligation the government has to consult communities.
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'I don't think … that a lot of people are happy right now in terms of the way that the government has gone about ramming through legislation without respecting the current … protections within the environment, the current protections on our water,' said Southern Chiefs' Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels.
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Chiefs who attended the gathering came armed with concerns and questions about the government's new law, which ushers in a new process for approving major infrastructure projects from ports to pipelines. It aims to bring down the federal approval process necessary for projects to receive the green light to two years, down from the current five.
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Introducing and passing what Carney coined as his 'One Canadian Economy' bill fulfilled a campaign promise he made during the spring federal election, where he pledged to remove all federal internal trade barriers by Canada Day and get more large infrastructure projects off the ground to bolster Canada's economy against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
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Even before it was introduced, the Assembly of First Nations, the main advocacy organization representing more than 600 First Nations across the country, voiced concerns about the lack of involvement of Indigenous-rights holders in developing the bill, which it said directly impacts communities that have a constitutional right to be consulted before projects get approved.
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Carney, who announced he would meet with chiefs in response to their concerns, has promised that the government would do so, as it decides on which projects would be deemed as benefiting the 'national interest.' Those that Carney's cabinet deems to be would be added to a list and qualify for the faster approvals process, to be coordinated through a yet-to-be-established major projects office.
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
U.S. and European Union reach trade pact that sets 15-per-cent tariff on EU goods
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Toronto Sun
8 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Carney's guide for civil service cuts
Prime Minister Mark Carney waits to speak during a tour of a steel manufacturing facility, in Hamilton, Ont., Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Photo by Chris Young / The Canadian Press The federal government has moved to block civil servants from streaming services such as Netflix, Crave and Amazon Prime on its networks. 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 According to documents obtained by University of Ottawa Assistant Professor Matt Malone and published by CBC, this was not done so much because the streaming put a strain on government networks, but that it was perceived to be a 'people management' issue. Scott Jones, president of Shared Services Canada (SSC), the agency responsible for IT, wrote to the Treasury Board about a meeting of deputy ministers, during which they discussed the use of streaming services in federal buildings. He supported blocking them. 'While streaming may ultimately impact the bandwidth available to the (Government of Canada), it is also more importantly a people management issue,' he wrote. 'In the current context and with public perception of the public service as it is … there is value in engaging (deputy ministers) on these issues and in committing SSC to take some action.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The departments with the highest streaming included the Department of National Defence (DND), Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Privy Council Office. This coincides with a Canadian Press story from February, which reported that large numbers of civil servants aren't following the rules when it comes to the government's hybrid work-from-home model that requires government employees to be in the office three days a week. The DND, which employs about 28,700 people, had the lowest compliance rate. In January, it was 60%, but just 31% in December. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing about 240,000 federal employees, said it had no record of any employee being dismissed or disciplined for not adhering to the hybrid rules. Prime Minister Mark Carney has told government agencies and departments they must slash 15% from their budgets over the next five years. These two reports provide a road map for where to cut. Those ministries and agencies where employees (a) can't be bothered to show up for work on the days they're required, or (b) are streaming Netflix, should be the first on the chopping block. As a show of good faith, Carney should end the hybrid model for MPs and require them to show up to work when the House resumes sitting. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
National Post
12 hours ago
- National Post
Trump's tariff threats against Canada face legal hurdles ahead of August deadline
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