Liberals' major projects bill passes House of Commons with Conservative support

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 5:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 44 minutes ago

The Liberal government's large projects authorities passed successful the House of Commons connected Friday evening arsenic MPs wrapped up the outpouring parliamentary sitting.

Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, essentially gives furniture the quality to prime definite projects to velocity done the regulatory process, with an oculus to projects that tin present an economical boost to Canada, assistance fortify the country's autonomy and resilience, "advance the interests of Indigenous peoples" and lend to "clean growth."

The authorities was a precedence for Prime Minister Mark Carney who promised to "build big, physique bold" during the outpouring predetermination campaign.

Once a task is deemed successful the nationalist interest, the authorities would let the authorities to skirt definite laws — specified arsenic the Impact Assessment Act — successful bid to get operation underway.

The authorities passed reasonably quickly, having lone been introduced earlier this month. The Conservatives supported the measure arsenic a whole, portion the NDP and Bloc Québécois backed a portion of the measure that removes interior commercialized barriers.

Liberal backbencher Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who had antecedently called connected the authorities to let for much clip to survey the bill, besides voted against the legislation.

The authorities hasn't said what precisely would beryllium fast-tracked nether this authorities — and determination are nary circumstantial projects mentioned successful the measure itself — but Carney has signalled enactment for caller vigor "corridors" successful the eastbound and west, which could see pipelines and energy grids, caller and expanded larboard facilities, mines and different resource-related initiatives.

After Friday's vote, Carney crossed the House level to shingle hands with a fig of Conservative MPs.

Even though his enactment supported the bill, Conservative House person Andrew Scheer said Friday evening that the Liberals "shouldn't beryllium giving themselves a golden prima oregon a pat connected the back." He said the authorities lone allows the authorities to get astir barriers it has imposed itself.

"We'll spot what happens now. We privation to spot whether oregon not Mark Carney and the remainder of the Liberal authorities — who person spent years warring against the vigor assemblage — if they tin really get results," helium told reporters extracurricular the House of Commons.

Scheer besides called connected the Liberals to rotation backmost immoderate regulatory laws.

Despite the measure passing successful the House successful little than a month, it isn't without its critics.

WATCH | Carney connected Indigenous consultation: 

Indigenous and biology groups, on with MPs — immoderate wrong the Liberal Party — and senators, raised concerns that the measure is being rushed done Parliament and volition assistance furniture sweeping powers to override different laws to plow up with concern projects favoured by the authorities of the day.

Those criticisms prompted Carney to clasp a quality league instantly aft the measure passed.

"These projects volition physique our nationalist system — and done Indigenous equity and assets management, these projects volition beryllium built with Indigenous nations and communities," helium said extracurricular the House chamber.

"This is not an aspiration. It is the program embedded successful the measure itself."

The authorities itself states the authorities volition recognize, affirm and "respect" Indigenous peoples' law rights erstwhile considering a project. But there's a fearfulness among immoderate leaders that the consultation process with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities volition beryllium inadequate.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, nationalist main of The Assembly of First Nations (AFN), told the House transport committee connected Tuesday that the measure was being rushed done Parliament without giving First Nations communities clip to person their questions answered and concerns heard.

"We each request much clip and accidental to talk to this authorities and get answers," she told MPs connected the committee, saying she's proceeding these concerns from aggregate chiefs.

WATCH | 'Learnings' to beryllium had from C-5 process: 

The authorities sent letters to Indigenous communities past month, outlining what the authorities would look similar earlier the measure was tabled. But Woodhouse Nepinak and different leaders who appeared astatine the transport committee said the consultations person been inadequate.

"The process that led to Bill C-5 is simply a lawsuit survey successful however not to prosecute with Indigenous nations," Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Haymond told the aforesaid committee connected Wednesday.

"The conditions for an Idle No More 2.0 uprising are being written into the instrumentality arsenic we speak," Haymond cautioned, referring to the question that began successful 2012 and led to countrywide protests, including roadworthy and obstruction blockades.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who represents 49 First Nations successful bluish Ontario, wants the Governor General to measurement successful earlier giving the authorities royal assent — an improbable and constitutionally dubious proposition.

WATCH | Grand main says measure won't use connected First Nations territory: 

"I'm hoping she's paying attraction to what's happening present truthful that she tin deliberation astir intervening," helium said.

When asked Friday astir those concerns, the premier curate said moving guardant successful concern with Indigenous communities was ever the volition of the bill. But helium said that connection mightiness not person been articulated "as intelligibly and arsenic structured" arsenic it could person been astatine the start.

Carney promised Friday to clasp "summits" regarding the authorities with Indigenous leaders starting adjacent month.

The authorities is supported by the concern assemblage and gathering trades, who testified to Parliament that it tin instrumentality longer to get projects approved than to get them built.

Other bills volition person to hold until fall

Other authorities government that the House was examining hasn't yet made it to the decorativeness line, and therefor volition request to hold until MPs instrumentality to Ottawa successful September.

Bill C-2 and Bill C-4 were some seen arsenic authorities priorities that the Liberals were pushing to get done reasonably quickly.

C-4 chiefly would person brought the Liberals' projected income taxation chopped officially into law. But adjacent though the measure hasn't passed, the authorities tin determination guardant with the taxation chopped starting July 1, acknowledgment to the passage of a ways-and-means question earlier this month.

The government's Bill C-2 focuses on strengthening Canada's borders, but advocates and immoderate absorption MPs person raised concerns that the authorities would make caller surveillance powers infringing connected idiosyncratic privateness and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The privacy commissioner besides raised concerns with immoderate of the provisions successful C-4.

The Senate volition proceed to beryllium adjacent week aft agreeing to analyse C-5. The House is scheduled to instrumentality Sept. 15.