Latest news with #BillC5
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs concerned about passing of Bill C-5
CTV News political commentator Tom Mulcair reacts to the passage of Bill C-5 through the Senate, saying he's not surprised there were no amendments to the bill. A First Nations organization in Manitoba is concerned about the speedy passage of federal legislation. Bill C-5, also known as the Building Canada Act, became law on Thursday. The act is controversial as it gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy, allowing them to sidestep environmental protections and other legislation. The bill has been praised by business groups, such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who believe it will help boost Canada's economy. Multiple Indigenous groups have criticized the bill in the leadup, saying their concerns were not addressed in the discussion of the bill, and it was fast-tracked. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said the bill doesn't respect First Nations' laws or jurisdiction. 'First Nations are not stakeholders – we are sovereign Nations with inherent rights and sacred agreements with the Crown,' Wilson said in a statement. 'This legislation shows exactly how structural inequities are embedded into the development of Canada's legislative and economic policies when First Nations are excluded from the process.' Wilson added that First Nations in Manitoba are not opposed to projects that boost the economy but are opposed to 'compressed timelines and federal overreach.' -With files from The Canadian Press
Associated Press
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
WWF-Canada calls for nation-building projects that 'heal nature, not harm it'
TORONTO, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada's Parliament has voted to give Cabinet sweeping new powers to accelerate 'nation-building' projects under Bill C-5, potentially bypassing environmental safeguards such as the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Fisheries Act and the Migratory Birds Convention Act. In our country's efforts to build the economy, World Wildlife Fund Canada believes any shovels in the ground must not be at the expense of endangered species and the habitats they rely on. Bill C-5 will allow Cabinet to override key environmental protections for projects that it deems to be in the national interest. While unstable geopolitics demand that Canada shore up its economy, nearly half of Canadians (49%) recognize that environmental regulations should not be bypassed to 'speed things up,' according to new data from the Angus Reid Institute. 'Prosperity is possible without sacrificing wetlands, forests, marine ecosystems or wildlife,' Megan Leslie, president and CEO of WWF-Canada says. 'Canadians want growth that strengthens our economy and our ecosystems. Bill C-5 can still deliver that future, but only if the government insists on projects that protect and restore, not harm, the nature that sustains us.' Canada's ecosystems sustain wildlife, store carbon, filter water and provide many other essential services helping our communities adapt to a changing climate. Gutting safeguards around their protection risks repeating the mistakes of the past — mistakes that have harmed Indigenous communities, damaged wildlife habitats and burdened generations of people across the country. The way forward is to make the protection of nature a prerequisite for development. That means complying with the intent of environmental laws such as SARA and the Fisheries Act and pursuing a balanced path to prosperity. The government should invest in large-scale, complex ecosystem restoration, Indigenous Guardians programs and renewable energy projects that have ecological integrity and durability at their core. Now is the time to fund nature-based solutions, develop conservation economies that strengthen communities, create jobs and help safeguard us from the impacts of climate change. 'The 'Building Canada' era should be remembered for landscapes restored, Indigenous rights respected and renewable energy delivered, not for nature pushed closer to the brink,' Leslie says. 'We stand ready to help government, industry and communities get this right.' About World Wildlife Fund Canada WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit SOURCE World Wildlife Fund Canada
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Canada's energy minister on pipelines, Bill C-5 controversy
Canada's energy and natural resources minister Tim Hodgson is in charge of an extremely important file for the federal government. That's because Prime Minister Carney campaigned on getting big energy and resources projects done, boosting Canada's economy and extracting us from our close relationship with the U.S. The stakes are pretty high for Minister Hodgson, who is new to politics but has extensive experience in the private sector, including time as CEO of Goldman Sachs Canada. He was also an adviser to Mark Carney during his time as governor of Bank of Canada. He talks to host Jayme Poisson about the controversial piece of legislation, Bill C-5, that would allow the government to fast track projects, but also exempt them from environmental laws and with some exceptions, acts of Parliament. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Senate passes controversial major projects legislation
Watch CTV News political commentator Tom Mulcair reacts to the passage of Bill C-5 through the Senate, saying he's not surprised there were no amendments to the bill.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Major projects: How Bill C-5 works and why it alarms its critics
OTTAWA — Parliament has passed controversial major projects legislation that Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada needs to shore up its economy in the face of a trade war with the United States. Bill C-5 gives the federal government sweeping new powers to speed up permitting for what the Liberals call "nation-building projects." The legislation's opponents have attacked the legislation as a massive power grab. Here's what's C-5 does and what people are saying about it. What problem is this trying to solve? Canada has built few large projects over the past decade. That has led Conservatives, some provinces and some industry groups to argue that Ottawa's regulatory burdens are holding back growth. The Liberals tried to streamline project approvals through Bill C-69, an impact assessment law meant to resolve environmental and Indigenous concerns upfront to keep projects from getting tied up in the courts. Critics say the legislation has actually been holding back major infrastructure projects since it became law in 2019. Federal Conservatives have dubbed the law the "No More Pipelines Act" and it's deeply unpopular in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Carney was elected in April with a mandate to diversify Canada's economy and ensure exports can more easily reach countries beyond the U.S. Ottawa has also promised to build up northern infrastructure, in part to meet a NATO military alliance spending target for critical infrastructure. Carney said Bill C-5 "creates the ability to flip … the attitude towards those projects once they are selected, once conditions are put in place — how those projects can move forward, as opposed to why." Which projects could be fast-tracked? We don't know yet. The government has pointed to ports, railways and sometimes pipelines. The Ontario government has suggested a major commuter highway tunnel could qualify as a nation-building project. What are the provinces doing? Some provinces have also passed legislation aimed at speeding up development. Ontario's government has given itself the right through Bill 5 to designate "special economic zones" where it can suspend everything from safety rules to environmental and labour standards, with a focus on mining projects. British Columbia's Bill 15 similarly allows the province to expedite the construction of anything from critical mineral mines to local hospitals. What's in the federal bill? The legislation has two main parts. The first part looks to eliminate barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobility and work to harmonize various regulations across the country. It also allows Ottawa to decide that goods and services that have met one province's requirements can be deemed to have met "comparable federal requirements" when moving interprovincially. That might involve things like energy efficiency standards on household appliances. The main part of the bill relates to fast-tracking approvals for projects that Ottawa decides are "in the national interest." The government says that decision is meant to be based on five criteria, including whether the project can "strengthen Canada's autonomy, resilience and security," help fight climate change or "advance the interests of Indigenous peoples." Getting that seal of approval would clear all federal approvals for the project — including virtually all environmental laws — while requiring the proponent to fulfil obligations set out by Ottawa. Why the rush? The government fast-tracked Bill C-5 with support from the Conservatives, and the House delivered the bill to the Senate with a programming motion that effectively required the upper chamber to vote on it by Friday. One senator's attempt to split the bill into separate votes was rejected when the Speaker concluded that it wasn't possible at such a late stage. Critics have been calling for a deeper review of the bill, arguing there is no need to rush it through because proposed fast-track projects won't start work before Parliament returns from its summer break. The government also could have had Parliament sit through the summer, instead of sending MPs and senators home for 12 weeks. How do Indigenous Peoples feel? There is widespread opposition to the legislation among First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, who argue elements of it could be used to undermine their rights. The Assembly of First Nations says the government's plan to set up advisory councils after the bill becomes law does not give real power to Indigenous communities on the ground, and they're upset that the bill didn't mention a UN declaration Ottawa has endorsed that promises those communities "free, prior and informed consent." Some Indigenous communities have welcomed the legislation, including some Alberta communities with economic stakes in energy projects and the Manitoba Métis Federation. Others say they are ready to undertake widespread, disruptive protests against specific projects. — With files from Kyle Duggan This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
