Latest news with #Liberal-Conservative
Global News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Liberal fast-track of major projects bill ‘new low,' opposition MPs say
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said Monday that Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to ram his government's major projects bill through the House of Commons this week represents a 'new low' in contempt for Parliament. May told a press conference she hasn't seen anything like it since the Conservative government under Stephen Harper pushed a major omnibus bill through more than a decade ago. May said she was 'shocked' by Harper's decision to bring in and fast track C-38 in 2012, a bill that was 400 pages long and 'destroyed 70 environmental laws.' 'This is worse,' she added. 'It appears to me — and it remains to be seen — that Mr. Carney's new majority coalition is Liberal-Conservative, delivering (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre's policies with a more friendly face.' Story continues below advertisement May spoke outside the House of Commons foyer Monday morning alongside First Nations leaders, NDP MP Gord Johns and lawyers from environmental groups — all of whom raised concerns about the legislation and the pace at which it's sprinting through the Commons. Grand Chief Linda Debassigé of the Anishinabek Nation said First Nations have 'not been consulted on this bill appropriately or adequately.' 'This bill presents serious concerns that, in our view, creates a path forward for any government to create legislation that undermines the rights and interests of our First Nations people,' she said. Soon after the press conference, the Liberals passed a closure motion with the support of the Conservatives to speed through study and debate of Bill C-5 by week's end. 4:58 Carney looking to pass legislation 'before summer' to remove trade barriers in Canada Government House leader Steven MacKinnon defended the government's haste Monday, arguing it has public buy-in since the bill delivers on major Liberal campaign promises from the recent election. Story continues below advertisement 'We just had the ultimate democratic test, and you know what we heard?' he said during debate in the House. 'Get this country moving. We need a response to the threats coming from down south.' The bill is now set for an unusually fast two-day study by the House transport committee Tuesday and Wednesday. The government expects to pass the bill through the Commons by end of Friday, which is also the last day the House is supposed to sit before the summer. Sen. Paul Prosper said he will try to slow down the part of the bill dealing with major projects in the Senate with an amendment. If the Senate amends the bill it would have to go back to the House of Commons for another approval. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The legislation would give the federal cabinet the ability to set aside various statutes to push forward approvals for a small number of major industrial products, such as mines, pipelines and ports, if the government deems them to be in the national interest. It aims to speed up the approval process for major projects so that cabinet can render a decision in two years at the most. It also aims to break down internal barriers to trade. Critics warn the proposed law would allow Ottawa to flout its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations under Section 35 of the Constitution. Story continues below advertisement 4:30 Carney, Canadian premiers united on 'nation-building' projects, but do not list them NDP MP Leah Gazan warned Monday that these fast-tracked projects will only wind up in the courts over the government's failure to properly consult with Indigenous peoples. 'The federal government is absolutely bulldozing over democratic principles in favour of corporate interests and it's going to have bad consequences,' she said. 'This is abhorrent. This is unprecedented. We need to ensure governments have proper oversights, not provide ministers in cabinet with unlimited powers to make decisions in violations of constitutional obligations.' Some constitutional experts told The Canadian Press the legislation's most far-reaching provisions — ones that would allow the executive branch to skirt laws to push forward big projects — are likely to survive a court challenge. Paul Daly, chair in administrative law and governance at the University of Ottawa, said while the provisions giving the executive more power are controversial, they're likely constitutional. Story continues below advertisement 'It is unlikely that a court would invalidate this as violating the Constitution,' he said. Sections 21 to 23 of the bill allow the executive branch to bypass existing rules and processes in 13 laws — including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Indian Act and the Impact Assessment Law — through a regulatory process that does not need to be approved by Parliament. These sections are what's known in the legal community as 'Henry VIII clauses' — a reference to a King who preferred to govern by decree rather than through Parliament.' 3:02 Carney calls for energy partnerships to make Canada a global superpower Courts have not found these to be constitutionally invalid, Daly said, adding there are guardrails in the bill and Charter rights will continue to apply to the legislation. 'It's similar in character to the carbon tax legislation from a few years ago, where the Supreme Court said the Henry VIII clause was constitutionally valid. And I suspect that a court, if this statute were challenged, would come to the same conclusion,' Daly said. Story continues below advertisement Anna Johnston, a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, said sections 22 and 23 are 'very worrisome' because they could allow the federal cabinet to exempt a pipeline or some other project from the Species at Risk Act. She said the bill overall gives the federal government too much leeway on the Crown's duty to consult with Indigenous peoples on decisions that affect them. 'If I were Canada's lawyers, I would have advised them strenuously against this bill,' she told The Canadian Press. 'That consultation has to be meaningful and I worry that, especially under the timelines that this government wants to make these decisions, that this bill is basically circumventing the government's constitutionally required duty to consult.' 2:11 The FSIN says First Nations were left out of the federal-provincial meeting Liberal MP Jaime Battiste insisted the legislation should not be so controversial and blamed the public outcry on bad communication and a lack of understanding of the bill's contents. Story continues below advertisement 'This legislation not only takes the step of saying that the duty to consult on these future projects is there … but there actually has to be meaningful equity and participation,' he told The Canadian Press on Monday. 'That has the opportunity for some lucky First Nations to have billions of dollars' worth of equity as part of these major projects and I'd love to see that and some clean energy in the Atlantic.' Carney said in June that it takes too long to push major new projects through 'arduous' approval processes and that in 'recent decades, it has become too difficult to build new projects in this country.' The federal Conservatives have claimed the bill does not go far enough and want to see the Impact Assessment Act repealed, the bill that currently lays out the federal review process required for major national projects. — With files from Nick Murray
Hamilton Spectator
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Elizabeth May calls out Carney's sprint to push projects bill through Commons
OTTAWA - Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the drive by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to rush its major projects bill through Parliament this week represents a 'new low' in government contempt for Parliament. Speaking at a press conference Monday morning, May said she hasn't seen anything like it since the Conservative government under Stephen Harper pushed an omnibus bill through more than a decade ago. May said she was 'shocked when Stephen Harper in spring of 2012 brought in an omnibus bill, Bill C-38, that was 400 pages long and destroyed 70 environmental laws, and it was fast-tracked.' 'This is worse,' she added. 'It appears to me — and it remains to be seen — that Mr. Carney's new majority coalition is Liberal-Conservative, delivering (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre's policies with a more friendly face.' May made her comments at a press conference outside the House of Commons foyer Monday morning alongside First Nations leaders, NDP MP Gord Johns and lawyers from environmental groups — all of whom raised concerns about the legislation and the pace at which it's sprinting through the Commons. The Liberals passed a closure motion Monday morning to speed through study and debate of Bill C-5 by week's end — but not before multiple opposition MPs excoriated the government during debate for moving so fast. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon defended the government's timeline, arguing that the government has public buy-in since the bill delivers on major campaign promises from the recent election. 'We just had the ultimate democratic test, and you know what we heard?' he said. 'Get this country moving. We need a response to the threats coming from down south.' The bill is now set for an unusually fast one-day study by the House transport committee Wednesday afternoon and evening. The government expects to pass the bill by the end of Friday. At the press conference, Sen. Paul Prosper said he plans to try to slow down the bill in the Senate with an amendment. He warned that if the bill is not carefully reviewed, it will quickly lead to litigation. The legislation would give the federal cabinet the ability to set aside various statutes to push forward approvals for a small number of major industrial products, such as mines, pipelines and ports, if the government deems them to be in the national interest. It aims to speed up the approval process for major projects so that cabinet can render a decision in two years at the most. Some critics warn the proposed law would allow Ottawa to flout its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations under Section 35 of the Constitution. But some constitutional experts told The Canadian Press that the legislation's most far-reaching provisions — the ones that would allow the executive branch to skirt laws to push forward big projects — are likely to survive a court challenge. Paul Daly, chair in administrative law and governance at University of Ottawa, said that while the provisions giving the executive more power are controversial, they're likely constitutional. 'It is unlikely that a court would invalidate this as violating the Constitution,' he said. Sections 21 to 23 of the bill allow the executive branch to bypass existing rules and processes in 13 laws — including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Indian Act and the Impact Assessment Law — through a regulatory process that does not need to be approved by Parliament. These sections are what's known in the legal community as 'Henry VIII clauses' — a reference to a King who preferred to govern by decree rather than through Parliament. Courts have not found these to be constitutionally invalid, Daly said, adding there are guardrails in the legislation and Charter rights will continue to apply to the legislation. 'It's similar in character to the carbon tax legislation from a few years ago, where the Supreme Court said the Henry VIII clause was constitutionally valid. And I suspect that a court, if this statute were challenged, would come to the same conclusion,' Daly said. But Anna Johnston, a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, said sections 22 and 23 and 'very worrisome' because they could allow the federal cabinet to exempt a pipeline or some other project from the Species at Risk Act. She said the bill overall gives the federal government too much leeway on the Crown's duty to consult with Indigenous peoples on decisions that affect them. 'If I were Canada's lawyers, I would have advised them strenuously against this bill,' she told The Canadian Press. 'That consultation has to be meaningful and I worry that, especially under the timelines that this government wants to make these decisions, that this bill is basically circumventing the government's constitutionally required duty to consult.' Carney said in June that it takes too long to push major new projects through 'arduous' approval processes and that in 'recent decades, it has become too difficult to build new projects in this country.' Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has warned that the legislation must be studied thoroughly since it can suspend various laws and regulations relating to language, First Nations rights, the environment and threatened species. 'The government seems to want to avoid scrutiny on the bill, which by itself is worrisome,' he told reporters in English on Friday. NDP MPs Leah Gazan, Alexandre Boulerice and Lori Idlout wrote to MacKinnon last week to formally request that the bill's study be slowed down to provide for more debate in the House. The federal Conservatives have claimed the bill does not go far enough and want to see the Impact Assessment Act repealed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Alberta's Premier Smith seeks new terms with re-elected Liberals
Alberta Premier Smith expresses deep frustration over the Liberal re-election, demanding a reset in Ottawa-Alberta relations. She highlights the province's energy sector concerns and hints at exploring options for Alberta's future within Canada. Smith emphasizes the need for meaningful action from Carney's government Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The echoes of the election results reverberated through Alberta, carrying a distinct note of frustration."A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government," Premier Danielle Smith articulated, her words reflecting the deep-seated tensions between the province and in her post-election statement, made it clear that the status quo was unacceptable."As Premier, I will not permit the status quo to continue," she declared, signaling a departure from the acrimonious relationship that characterized her dealings with Carney's predecessor, Justin extended an invitation to Carney, urging him to "immediately commence working with our government to reset the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta with meaningful action rather than hollow rhetoric."Alluding to a previously announced panel on Alberta's future within the confederation, Smith emphasized the province's resolve to explore options for "strengthening and protecting our province against future hostile acts from Ottawa."She pledged to "facilitate and lead this discussion and process with the sincere hope of securing a prosperous future for our province within a united Canada."Smith's endorsement of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during the campaign underscored her alignment with opposition her appearance on the Ben Mulroney show, she argued that the election results should not be misread as a mandate for anti-oil and gas policies."The results of this election were 312 seats won by parties that wanted to build pipelines, turn us into an energy superpower and clear away some of the regulatory mess and taxes… that have landlocked our resources," she asserted, highlighting the combined Liberal-Conservative seat premier's message was clear: Alberta was prepared to negotiate, but not to warned of unpredictable consequences if Carney continued with policies that hindered the province's energy sector."I couldn't predict" how Albertans would react, she cautioned. As Smith prepared to meet with her caucus and address the media, the nation watched, anticipating the next chapter in the ongoing saga of Alberta's relationship with the federal government.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Receipt of multiple voter information cards in Canada is not evidence of fraud
"I saw on social media that people who are registered with the Liberal party are getting 2 voter information cards, but I didn't believe it till today," says text shared as a screenshot in an April 15, 2025 Facebook post. It goes on to claim that after registering with the Liberal party to vote in the March leadership contest, the person was then mailed two cards for the federal election. "I am truly scared that this election is being manipulated!" it exclaims. "The steal is on," said another post sharing the text, referencing a common refrain from those who refused to accept the result of the 2020 presidential election in the United States. The claim spread across platforms, with users resharing the text claimed to stem from the account of someone who says she lives in the province of Alberta. AFP could not see the post directly due to the privacy settings of the account and the person did not respond to AFP's request for comment. Canada will vote in an April 28 snap election called just days after Mark Carney was sworn in as the new prime minister. Some 7.3 million Canadians have already cast ballots during the advance voting period -- a record high turnout for the country with 28.9 million eligible voters. The campaign has been dominated by economic and sovereignty threats from US President Donald Trump, which upended the usual multi-party battles to control parliament. This year, polling points to a two-party Liberal-Conservative race, with smaller parties facing significant setbacks. The Canadian Digital Media Research Network reported on April 25 that, despite high levels of trust among Canadians in the integrity of the 2025 election, it witnessed a "noticeable surge" in claims questioning the security and integrity of the voting process in the home stretch of the election (archived here). AFP has debunked claims that voting in pencil opens the door to fraud and marks from poll workers invalidate ballots. The claims about people receiving multiple voter information cards to encourage fraudulent votes are similarly incorrect. "Receiving more than one voter information card does not mean that you can vote more than once," Elections Canada, the non-partisan agency that administers elections, told AFP in an April 24 email. The agency added: "When someone votes in person or asks for a special ballot, an election worker crosses their name off the list of electors to show that the person has voted and cannot vote again in the election." Elections Canada said that a "printer error" resulted in certain electors "receiving a duplicate voter information card" but stressed it has safeguards in place "to make sure that only eligible individuals can vote, and that they vote only once and only in the electoral district where they are registered." For example, Canadians must provide proof of identity and home address at the polling place. There are three ways to do so (archived here): Bring a photo identification issued by the provincial, territorial or federal government, such as a driver's license. Bring two official documents that include your name and address. One of these documents can be the voter information card while the other could be a bank statement or utility bill. Declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. This person can only serve this role for one voter and must also prove their identity and address. Holly Ann Garnett (archived here), co-director of the Electoral Integrity Project, which studies elections around the world, said that the information card is "not your license to vote" and expressed confidence in the protocols implemented by Elections Canada to ensure people are only casting one ballot. The information used to decide who should receive official election mailers is taken from the National Register of Electors. This database is regularly updated from several sources including the Canada Revenue Agency, provincial and territorial election agencies and vital statistics bureaus. Elections Canada said the register "enjoys a high degree of accuracy" despite having to account for all the Canadians who move, gain citizenship, turn 18 or die. Garnett said when the information proves imperfect, officials who maintain the voter rolls rightly "air on the side of caution," trying to avoid accidentally disenfranchising an eligible voter. Additional claims warning of potential fraud and blaming the ruling Liberal Party for sending voter information cards to people who are deceased circulated in French. Elections Canada said it is an unfortunate occurrence when such mailers are sent, but it is likely "because we had not received information about the death in time to update the lists of electors." Anyone presenting the card at the polls must offer additional identification to be issued a ballot. Instances of voter fraud are rare in Canada, with election officials referring any irregularities to the Commissioner of Canada Elections. Those who violate federal election laws may face fines and even jail time (archived here). More of AFP's reporting on misinformation impacting the 2025 Canadian federal election is available here.
AFP
25-04-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Receipt of multiple voter information cards in Canada is not evidence of fraud
"I saw on social media that people who are registered with the Liberal party are getting 2 voter information cards, but I didn't believe it till today," says text shared as a screenshot in an April 15, 2025 Facebook post. It goes on to claim that after registering with the Liberal party to vote in the March leadership contest, the person was then mailed two cards for the federal election. " election is being manipulated!" it exclaims. "The steal is on," said another post sharing the text, referencing a common refrain from those who refused to accept the result of the 2020 presidential election in the United States. Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken April 24, 2025 Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken April 24, 2025 The claim spread across platforms, with users resharing the text claimed to stem from the account of someone who says she lives in the province of Alberta. AFP could not see the post directly due to the privacy settings of the account and the person did not respond to AFP's request for comment. Canada will vote in an April 28 snap election called just days after Mark Carney was sworn in as the new prime minister. Some 7.3 million Canadians have already cast ballots during the advance voting period -- a record high turnout for the country with 28.9 million eligible voters. The campaign has been dominated by economic and sovereignty threats from US President Donald Trump, which upended the usual multi-party battles to control parliament. This year, polling points to a two-party Liberal-Conservative race, with smaller parties facing significant setbacks. The Canadian Digital Media Research Network reported on April 25 that, despite high levels of trust among Canadians in the integrity of the 2025 election, it witnessed a "noticeable surge" in claims questioning the security and integrity of the voting process in the home stretch of the election (archived here). AFP has debunked claims that voting in pencil opens the door to fraud and marks from poll workers invalidate ballots. The claims about people receiving multiple voter information cards to encourage fraudulent votes are similarly incorrect. "Receiving more than one voter information card does not mean that you can vote more than once," Elections Canada, the non-partisan agency that administers elections, told AFP in an April 24 email. The agency added: "When someone votes in person or asks for a special ballot, an election worker crosses their name off the list of electors to show that the person has voted and cannot vote again in the election." Elections Canada said that a "printer error" resulted in certain electors "receiving a duplicate voter information card" but stressed it has safeguards in place "to make sure that only eligible individuals can vote, and that they vote only once and only in the electoral district where they are registered." For example, Canadians must provide proof of identity and home address at the polling place. There are three ways to do so (archived here): Bring a photo identification issued by the provincial, territorial or federal government, such as a driver's license. Bring two official documents that include your name and address. One of these documents can be the voter information card while the other could be a bank statement or utility bill. Declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. T n can only serve this role for one voter and must also prove their identity and address. Holly Ann Garnett (archived here), co-director of the Electoral Integrity Project, which studies elections around the world, said that the information card is "not your license to vote" and expressed confidence in the protocols implemented by Elections Canada to ensure people are only casting one ballot. The information used to decide who should receive official election mailers is taken from the National Register of Electors. This database is regularly updated from several sources including the Canada Revenue Agency, provincial and territorial election agencies and vital statistics bureaus. Elections Canada said the register "enjoys a high degree of accuracy" despite having to account for all the Canadians who move, gain citizenship, turn 18 or die. Garnett said when the information proves imperfect, officials who maintain the voter rolls rightly "air on the side of caution," trying to avoid accidentally disenfranchising an eligible voter. Inviting the dead to vote Additional claims warning of potential fraud and blaming the ruling Liberal Party for sending voter information cards to people who are deceased circulated in French. Elections Canada said it is an unfortunate occurrence when such mailers are sent, but it is likely "because we had not received information about the death in time to update the lists of electors." Anyone presenting the card at the polls must offer additional identification to be issued a ballot. Instances of voter fraud are rare in Canada, with election officials referring any irregularities to the Commissioner of Canada Elections. Those who violate federal election laws may face fines and even jail time (archived here). More of AFP's reporting on misinformation impacting the 2025 Canadian federal election is available here.
