Latest news with #BuildingCanadaAct
National Observer
2 days ago
- Business
- National Observer
‘Harper's dreams coming true': MPs slam Carney's fast-tracking plan
Prime Minister Mark Carney's new bill to fast-track major projects will have to rely on Conservative votes to pass, with all other parties expressing major reservations. The legislation would allow the federal government to conditionally approve projects it deems 'in the national interest' before an environmental or impact assessment or other regulatory processes take place. Both the NDP and Greens have spoken out against it, while Patrick Bonin, Bloc Québécois environment and climate change critic, called Carney's plan to fast-track major projects 'highly problematic' at a French-language press conference on Monday. The federal government is seeking to give itself 'superpowers' to accelerate projects and weaken environmental protections, Bonin said. Some of the factors used to evaluate whether a project is in the national interest are vague, and there's no obligation for the government to adhere to it, he added. Then, there is the question of sovereignty and whether provinces can say no to projects in their jurisdiction. Last week, Carney said projects need consensus from provinces to move forward, but the legislation doesn't spell that out, leaving room for potential overreach on provincial jurisdiction, Bonin said. The Building Canada Act is part of an omnibus bill that also includes action to remove federal barriers to interprovincial trade, which is less controversial than the changes to major project approvals. On Monday, the Bloc Québécois called on the federal government to split the omnibus bill into two separate bills so the issues can be studied in the relevant federal committees. The federal Conservatives have not confirmed whether they will support the bill — Leader Pierre Poilievre said caucus will discuss it on Wednesday. For the Conservatives, the question is not whether legislation is perfect, but whether it is better than the way things are, Poilievre said on Friday. 'That's what we'll be looking at as we study this newly-introduced bill over the next few days.' 'We would vote in favour of accelerating even one project,' Poilievre said, indicating that he wants to see new pipelines in particular. 'Once a project is on that list, it's not a question of if it's going to move forward, but how,' Alexandre Boulerice, NDP critic for environment and climate change, said. 'It's like Stephen Harper's dreams coming true." Last week, BC Premier David Eby said he will not support Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's vision of building a new oil pipeline to BC's north coast. Poilievre made it clear he doesn't think provinces should get veto power over nationally important projects. 'We need a pipeline to the Pacific, and if the prime minister says he's going to wait till everyone agrees, then nothing will get done, which is what has been happening for the last decade,' Poilievre said at a press conference at Parliament Hill on Monday. If the Conservatives support Bill C-5, the Liberals will have the votes they need to get it through the House of Commons. The NDP says its members will vote against the bill, with one MP calling the major projects section 'really dangerous.' 'Once a project is on that list, it's not a question of if it's going to move forward, but how,' Alexandre Boulerice, NDP critic for environment and climate change, said in a phone interview with Canada's National Observer. 'It's like Stephen Harper's dreams coming true.' He said the NDP is currently exploring possible options to block the bill, but any action would likely require cooperation with the Bloc Québécois. Either way, Boulerice doesn't see how the federal government can rush the bill through by July 1, given that there are less than two weeks left before the House rises for the summer. 'It's a really capitalist logic that what we need to do is to provide certainty to investors and companies,' Boulerice said. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May also criticized the proposed legislation in a June 9 press release. 'Bill C-5 gives the federal Cabinet sweeping discretion to fast-track projects while weakening Indigenous rights and environmental protections,' May's statement reads. 'This is the first time in 40 years that Canadian environmental assessment law has been written to serve political deals first and environmental responsibility second.' Factors for determining national interest 'carefully worded' The bill lists some factors the government may consider when deciding whether a project will be listed for fast-tracking, one of which is whether it will 'contribute to clean growth and to meeting Canada's objectives with respect to climate change.' Another factor is whether it will 'advance the interests of Indigenous peoples.' Boulerice said these are nothing more than broad slogans. Mark Winfield, a professor of environmental governance at York University, was of the same mind. 'These are attempts to cover off points of potential vulnerability,' he said in a phone interview with C anada's National Observer. The bill does not have a clear definition of 'clean growth,' he said, which creates huge loopholes for approving projects or employing technologies that many Canadians wouldn't consider 'clean.' 'The government has been very liberal in its definition of 'clean' to include things like CCUS [carbon capture, utilisation and storage], critical minerals, [and] nuclear,' Winfield said. The bill raises serious questions about how the federal government will reconcile Canada's climate change obligations with all the talk of potential pipeline and fossil fuel export projects at the same time as northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are going up in smoke, he added. 'Everybody thinks that it's an open door for pipelines, in fact, for oil and gas,' Boulerice said. 'It's not about solving the housing crisis with a big project of building millions of homes. It's about energy.' Carney has made repeated references to both clean and conventional energy, the latter of which refers to fossil fuels like oil and gas. Carney has referenced 'decarbonized' oil and used the Pathways Alliance's proposed multi-billion dollar carbon capture project as an example of projects that could be considered for fast-tracking. 'Oil is carbon. There's no such thing as decarbonized oil,' Angela Carter, an associate professor of political science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, said in a phone interview. 'We need to be very, very careful about this definition of clean growth. If it's a project that contributes to sustaining and growing oil production, well, that's not clean growth. It's very, very, very simple.' Bloc Québécois House Leader Christine Normandin said it's too early to say whether her party will support the bill. First, they want the government to respond to their request to split the bill into two parts, one for interprovincial trade and one for major projects. 'In a sense, this is taking what Stephen Harper tried to do with C-38 and putting it on steroids … The problem with trying to take shortcuts is it has a tendency to backfire and to make the underlying conflicts worse than ever,' Winfield said. 'Look what happened: Northern Gateway died, Energy East went nowhere, it took extraordinary steps to get Trans Mountain done.' The biggest challenge for Carney's government will likely be navigating Indigenous opposition and constitutional rights, said Michael Wernick, former clerk of the Privy Council. Indigenous Peoples have the most 'legal ability' to slow things down, he said, adding that it is not unsolvable for the Carney government but will be a key hurdle. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak voiced her concerns with the bill on Friday and called an emergency meeting on it this week. Onlookers and experts who care about climate are looking on with 'considerable uncertainty' because the bill could allow for massive progress to be made on an east-west electricity grid or fast-tracking renewable energy infrastructure, but that may not be the case, James Rowe, an associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Victoria, said. 'Given the political economy of Canada as the fourth largest oil producer in the world … it's more likely those real powerful forces are going to get their way — and projects that might otherwise have been stopped by regulatory processes and consultations … are going to get fast-tracked,' he said.
Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Canada Standard
Opinion: 'Don't Look, Just Leap', Carney and Ford Agree
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford seem to think that environmental assessment laws governing new pipelines, mines, nuclear power plants, ports, power dams, and transmission lines are no longer needed. Trust us, they say. Give us and the other politicians in our cabinets unfettered discretion to decide in secret which projects are in the national interest, where free-fire special economic zones should be established, and which corporations we should accept as trusted partners in exploiting Canada's natural wealth No need for serious debate in legislatures, they say. Ontario's Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act , was whipped through the provincial legislature in eight weeks. Carney wants Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act , enacted by Parliament by Canada Day, July 1. Independent scientists, civil society, and local communities need not be consulted on new megaprojects, they say. Governments know best. Yes, Indigenous nations must be heard from on account of that pesky Constitution and Supreme Court. But those consultations must be done quickly because project approvals are guaranteed within two years to ensure certainty for investors. View our latest digests Yes, they say, Canada's boreal forest is burning, atmospheric and other rivers are overflowing, and sea levels are rising. But action to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies really must be put on hold on account of the tyrant to the south. We need to let the U.S. President-not to mention the big investment banks-know that Canada can lay steel and pour concrete as fast as his country can. Benefits to Canadians from these national interest projects must wait, as well. Beginning roughly a half-century ago, Conservative federal and Ontario governments enacted laws requiring development projects to be assessed so that their environmental effects could be avoided, or at least mitigated. Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act was enacted in 1975, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in 1992. Premier Bill Davis amd Prime Minister Mulroney understood that bureaucrats and consulting engineers don't always get it right, and that the singular focus on economic growth can sometimes leads to ecological disaster. Look before you leap. Ensure that government decisions to approve new highways, oil sands mines, or pipelines at least consider possible adverse environmental effects. Otherwise you get Chornobyl, Fukushima, Deepwater Horizon, and the Mount Polley and Giant mines. Ontario's Bill 5 and federal Bill C-5 effectively override these environmental assessment laws for the very projects that most need assessment and public discussion. Thank goodness we have elected such wise men who truly understand that a tunnel under the 401 highway, a trans-Canada energy corridor, and new roads to the Arctic are environmentally sustainable and will generate amazing benefits to regular Canadians. As catastrophic climate change and species extinctions accelerate, Canadians may be comforted by the thought that oil and gas and mining companies and investment banks will enjoy healthy profits for at least a few more quarters. Stephen Hazell is a veteran environmental lawyer, a member of the Energy Mix Productions Board of Directors, and an advisor to two national organizations assessing the impacts of Bill C-5. Source: The Energy Mix
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Liberals to remove federal trade barriers, fast-track major projects in new bill
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government plans to remove federal trade barriers by recognizing the rules provinces have in place, the National Post has learned. Article content The measures are set to be introduced in a 'One Canadian Economy' bill aimed at knocking down federal trade barriers and fast-tracking the approvals process for major energy and infrastructure projects to be introduced Friday. Article content Article content Article content The full title of the bill is 'An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.' Article content Article content The proposed legislation takes aim at the overlap that exists between rules at the provincial and federal levels of government, including when it comes to workers. Article content The federal government is hoping the legislation will receive unanimous support from all parties to fast-track its adoption, but at least one opposition party has said that will not happen. Article content Bloc Québécois House leader Christine Normandin said on Wednesday her party will want to study the bill in great detail and hear from experts in parliamentary committees, which are not yet up and running. Article content 'For the interest of the population that we represent, we're going to do the work,' she said. Article content Carney is expected to hold a media availability to answer questions about the legislation around 12:30. Article content Article content Besides addressing trade barriers, the bill will usher in a new process to fast-track approvals for major projects by creating a new federal major projects office. Article content By creating the new office, the government promises to streamline the regulatory process and cut the approval timeline from five to two years. Article content Carney and the premiers met earlier this week and agreed on the criteria for what constitutes a project to be in the 'national interest,' which would allow it to be fast-tracked. Article content Requirements include Indigenous participation, the potential for clean growth, and a high likelihood of success. Article content The federal government has promised that the proposed bill to fast-track resource project approvals would follow the constitutional duty to consult First Nations.
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Liberals to remove federal trade barriers, fast-track major projects in new bill
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government plans to remove federal trade barriers by recognizing the rules provinces have in place, the National Post has learned. Article content The measures are set to be introduced in a 'One Canadian Economy' bill aimed at knocking down federal trade barriers and fast-tracking the approvals process for major energy and infrastructure projects to be introduced Friday. Article content Article content Article content The full title of the bill is 'An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.' Article content Article content The proposed legislation takes aim at the overlap that exists between rules at the provincial and federal levels of government, including when it comes to workers. Article content The federal government is hoping the legislation will receive unanimous support from all parties to fast-track its adoption, but at least one opposition party has said that will not happen. Article content Bloc Québécois House leader Christine Normandin said on Wednesday her party will want to study the bill in great detail and hear from experts in parliamentary committees, which are not yet up and running. Article content 'For the interest of the population that we represent, we're going to do the work,' she said. Article content Carney is expected to hold a media availability to answer questions about the legislation around 12:30. Article content Article content Besides addressing trade barriers, the bill will usher in a new process to fast-track approvals for major projects by creating a new federal major projects office. Article content By creating the new office, the government promises to streamline the regulatory process and cut the approval timeline from five to two years. Article content Carney and the premiers met earlier this week and agreed on the criteria for what constitutes a project to be in the 'national interest,' which would allow it to be fast-tracked. Article content Requirements include Indigenous participation, the potential for clean growth, and a high likelihood of success. Article content The federal government has promised that the proposed bill to fast-track resource project approvals would follow the constitutional duty to consult First Nations.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Liberals to remove federal trade barriers, fast-track major projects in new bill
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government plans to remove federal trade barriers by recognizing the rules provinces have in place, the National Post has learned. The measures are set to be introduced in a 'One Canadian Economy' bill aimed at knocking down federal trade barriers and fast-tracking the approvals process for major energy and infrastructure projects to be introduced Friday. The full title of the bill is 'An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.' 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. The proposed legislation takes aim at the overlap that exists between rules at the provincial and federal levels of government, including when it comes to workers. The federal government is hoping the legislation will receive unanimous support from all parties to fast-track its adoption, but at least one opposition party has said that will not happen. Bloc Québécois House leader Christine Normandin said on Wednesday her party will want to study the bill in great detail and hear from experts in parliamentary committees, which are not yet up and running. 'For the interest of the population that we represent, we're going to do the work,' she said. Carney is expected to hold a media availability to answer questions about the legislation around 12:30. Besides addressing trade barriers, the bill will usher in a new process to fast-track approvals for major projects by creating a new federal major projects office. By creating the new office, the government promises to streamline the regulatory process and cut the approval timeline from five to two years. Carney and the premiers met earlier this week and agreed on the criteria for what constitutes a project to be in the 'national interest,' which would allow it to be fast-tracked. Requirements include Indigenous participation, the potential for clean growth, and a high likelihood of success. The federal government has promised that the proposed bill to fast-track resource project approvals would follow the constitutional duty to consult First Nations. However, the Assembly of First Nations has said it needs to see the full text of the bill to analyze it legally and has warned the approach poses a 'serious threat' to treaty rights. National Post Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
