Latest news with #DominicLeBlanc
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Trump announces more trade deals as deadline looms for higher tariffs on Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump announced more trade deals this week as his deadline for Canada and the United States to negotiate a new economic and security partnership draws closer. Trump said Tuesday that the United States had made deals with Japan and the Philippines. The White House also provided more information on the framework of a deal with Indonesia that Trump had announced earlier this month. The announcements come just over a week before Trump's latest duty deadline, and as pressure mounts on many of America's largest trading partners. Trump has sent letters to multiple nations, including Canada, saying that if no deal is made by Aug. 1, he will impose high tariffs on imports to the United States. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is in Washington this week but downplayed expectations of a deal by Trump's deadline. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carney government's nation-building projects list expected to draw from these five areas, says source
The first major projects of the Canadian government's signature nation-building initiative are likely to be drawn from five key areas that have emerged as 'shared priorities' between Ottawa and the provinces, according to a senior government source with knowledge of the government's current thinking. The five areas — called the Western and Arctic Corridor, the Eastern Energy Partnership, Critical Minerals Pathways, the Next Stage of Nuclear and Export Diversification Infrastructure — were among those discussed and flagged as areas of common ground during a first ministers' meeting in June, said the source, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the discussions. That meeting included provincial and territorial leaders, Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior federal ministers Dominic LeBlanc, Tim Hodgson and Chrystia Freeland. Before any projects receive a national-interest designation, more consultations will be required, the source said. Ottawa is preparing to meet with Indigenous leaders to discuss the projects later this month. 'We need to sort of go away and talk to the provinces and territories again, talk to Indigenous partners and Indigenous people; that's super important and that's a priority in July. You'll see the PM is setting up summits with rights holders,' the source said, adding that the federal and provincial governments will continue discussions with proponents on feasibility and specific projects that could be advanced under Bill C-5. The Carney government hopes to supercharge Canada's economic growth and mitigate damage from tariffs levied by the United States by streamlining federal approvals for major projects deemed to be of national importance under new provisions laid out in Bill C-5, which passed Parliament at the end of June. Provincial and territorial premiers were invited to submit project ideas, though the federal cabinet alone will decide which projects to fast-track, based on factors such as whether the proposal strengthens Canada's economy or security, the likelihood of it being successful and whether it advances the interests of Indigenous peoples or contributes to clean growth. A spokesperson for the privy council office declined to say when specific project names would be announced, but said Bill C-5 requires consultations with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, and that a 30-day notice be published in the Canada Gazette before a potential national interest project can be designated. One proposal that has gained momentum among the Western premiers is an economic corridor connecting British Columbia's northwest coast through the Prairies to Hudson's Bay, eventually linking by road to an Arctic port in Grays Bay, Nunavut. Western premiers in May pledged to begin planning port-to-port-to-port infrastructure, including roads, rail, power generation, transmission and pipelines, which could help deliver more energy, critical minerals, agricultural goods and manufactured goods to tidewater for export to both Asian and European markets. The most valuable and contentious component of the corridor would be the construction of a new oil export pipeline, potentially paired with a major carbon-capture project in the oilsands tied to the Pathways Alliance organization. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she's actively courting private investors to build a new pipeline to the West Coast and has publicly touted a route terminating at an expanded Port of Prince Rupert — a deep-water port on B.C.'s northwest coast — where some proponents hope to see crude oil, ammonia and critical minerals added to an already growing list of exports to Asia. 'Alberta is very seized, obviously, with the idea of having a private-sector pipeline,' the senior government source said. 'We have been pretty clear that if one comes forward and it is bringing the lowest price and the lowest cost and, crucially, the lowest carbon products to market, it will be considered the same way that any project would.' B.C. Premier David Eby has not outright rejected the idea, though he has publicly said he opposes public funding for a new oil pipeline. Carney on Saturday said it's 'highly, highly likely' that an oil pipeline will be on Ottawa's major project list, adding that he expects the private sector will be advancing a proposal. 'I would think, given the scale of the economic opportunity, the resources we have, the expertise we have, that it is highly, highly likely that we will have an oil pipeline that is a proposal for one of these projects of national interest,' the prime minister told the Calgary Herald. No dollar figure for a new pipeline has been floated, but the Alberta government has argued that Ottawa should avoid taking the approach it took when constructing Canada's last pipeline to tidewater, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) project, the budget for which ballooned to more than $34 billion at completion in 2024 from $7.4 billion in 2018, when the former Justin Trudeau government purchased the project. Instead, the Smith government has been urging Ottawa to make regulatory changes to encourage a private proponent to step forward, changes the province has said could have shaved between $6 billion and $11 billion dollars from TMX's final price tag. The debate over the pipeline has dominated public discussion, but a key focus of the corridor is likely to be critical minerals and the build-out of infrastructure to support mining, processing and exports, including roads, clean power generation, transmission lines and grid connections, such as a proposed 750-kilometre Yukon-B.C. intertie. Some large-scale mining and resource project proposals in the North and in remote areas of B.C. and the Prairie provinces have languished for years, with proponents arguing that private investment would flow if strategic investments in infrastructure were made. Canada currently ranks 'near the bottom' in terms of mine development timelines, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada director Jeff Killeen said, with it sometimes taking more than 25 years for a viable project to go from initial discovery to production. 'Part of that extensive timeline comes from the infrastructure gap that we're talking about right now in many parts of the country,' he said. The Western and Arctic corridor also overlaps with another key category of major projects, the so-called next stage of nuclear, since boosting Saskatchewan's uranium ore mining sector could increase exports while simultaneously supporting Ottawa's ambitions for expanding the next generation of nuclear technologies. Ontario is currently constructing the first commercial-scale small modular reactor project among the Group of Seven industrialized nations, and provinces such as Saskatchewan, Alberta and New Brunswick are hoping to follow suit with the help of Ontario Power Generation Inc. There are also proposals to refurbish Canada's aging Candu reactor technology that could be fast-tracked under Bill C-5. What was initially pitched as a way to reduce the reliance of some Atlantic provinces on coal and energy imports from the U.S. — something exacerbated by the shutdown of Nova Scotia's offshore natural gas production in 2018 — has blossomed into bigger plans, with the prospect of tapping federal money and cutting red tape to draw private investment. Leaders in Atlantic Canada now hope Ottawa's nation-building push will galvanize efforts to link power infrastructure across the region and country, enabling new generation projects with enough capacity to export excess electricity to other Canadian provinces and New England states at a profit. The pitch from the Atlantic provinces under the Eastern Energy Partnership has an estimated initial cost of $8 billion, and it has the support of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, according to Atlantica Centre for Energy, a non-profit organization that advocates for energy opportunities in the region. Some of the proposals being pitched, which span electricity, nuclear and natural gas, also involve Quebec. But whether that province will be on board remains to be seen, said Larry Hughes, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Dalhousie University, who is closely following developments. Among the proposals is Nova Scotia's Wind West initiative, which would boost development of offshore wind turbines to 66 gigawatts of capacity within 10 years, or 13 times the previous goal for 2030. A cross-country cable is envisioned to carry excess electricity to other markets, and the undertaking would require government and private funding. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the project could supply 27 per cent of Canada's electricity needs. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has endorsed the idea that her province could become an electricity hub for transmission of energy across Canada and into the U.S., including hydro from Newfoundland and Labrador. A separate New Brunswick proposal would give Atlantic provinces access to natural gas from Western Canada through the extension of a pipeline that currently terminates in Quebec City. If Quebec were to allow it, the natural gas pipeline could be extended into New Brunswick, Hughes said. From the Port of Belledune in northern New Brunswick, it could be further extended to Fredericton and connect with the existing pipeline system, Michelle Robichaud, president of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, said. 'In some ways, the Eastern Energy Partnership is a new idea. In other ways, it is revisiting old plans and incorporating existing ones,' she said. Robichaud said that beyond the proposed offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia, new nuclear power from New Brunswick and hydro from Newfoundland and Labrador, the growth potential of onshore wind has already been identified in all four Atlantic provinces. 'All of the Atlantic provinces require additional generation and there is opportunity in exporting energy, whether it's through transmission lines or as hydrogen, ammonia or other clean fuels,' she said. Eastern premiers are also hoping that Canada's renewed interest in strengthening ties with the European Union could facilitate the build-out of a hydrogen sector, leveraging the region's clean electricity to produce green hydrogen, which can then be converted into ammonia for long-distance shipping to markets such as Germany. 'It's been pretty obvious that the EU is a partner that we're looking to get closer to, so if there's a way that we can work on making sure that our Atlantic provinces are well-equipped to send resources to Europe, that's important,' the senior government source said. The Carney government has said the world is bullish on Canada's potential to supply critical minerals, so projects that capitalize on this opportunity are likely to draw attention as part of the nation-building initiative. The Ontario government's proposed multi-billion-dollar investment in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region looms large on the list. Premier Doug Ford has put developing the vast region at the top of his priority list and is looking to speed assessments of some key components of the project under Bill C-5, including portions of a three-part road network proposed to provide access to the Ring of Fire. But Ottawa will also be looking at other mines and projects currently in the regulatory pipeline, as well as investments along the entire value chain for critical minerals, including midstream processing, manufacturing and recycling. Sector watchers warn that many early-stage mineral projects struggle economically because they must export their output for processing. In some cases, midstream processing or refining is essential for turning marginal or high-cost mining operations for minerals such as lithium and rare earths into economically viable projects. As a result, governments may want to prioritize investment in infrastructure and mining projects close to where midstream capacity already exists, Killeen said, pointing to the concentration of smelters, refineries and mills in Sudbury, Ont., the country's only copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., and the massive zinc and lead smelting and refining complex in Trail, B.C. 'There hasn't been a new smelter developed in Canada in decades,' he said. 'There's only a few pins in the map in Canada where you take raw material out of a mine and turn it into some further developed, value-added product. If we can fill in that midstream processing gap, that's a big part of building up the strategy that we want.' The final category could include two broad types of projects: energy and natural resource infrastructure, and transportation projects such as roads and railways, according to the source familiar with the government's thinking. The hope is these projects will create jobs while helping Canada's exports reach different trading partners. 'None of these (categories) are one project; they're all kind of buckets,' the source said. 'There could be an infrastructure ecosystem, not just building one project but building something that is a network that gets from Point A to customers in Canada or to customers elsewhere.' mpotkins@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
National Observer
02-07-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Bill C-5 is not just bad policy, it's a constitutional mess
Prime Minister Carney's attempt to make good on his election promise to build one Canadian economy and get things built — Bill C-5 — has been written and rushed through Parliament at breakneck speed. And it shows. Aimed at streamlining interprovincial trade and fast-tracking major projects, Bill C-5 has been heavily criticized by Indigenous peoples, environmental groups and legal experts who warn it erodes foundational democratic principles and allows the government to circumvent environmental laws and run roughshod over Indigenous rights. Of particular concern is Part 2, the Building Canada Act. If passed, it would apply to projects that the federal cabinet designates as being in the 'national interest.' Designating the projects acts as their approval — in other words, projects will get the green light before they are reviewed. This approach flies in the face of over half a century of experience showing that governments make better decisions when they understand the consequences of those decisions ahead of time. The bill also consolidates regulatory power in the hands of one 'super minister' (likely to be Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who tabled the Bill along with Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland). While that minister must consult ministers responsible for various project aspects and effects, he or she can ignore their advice. The super minister will also not need to comply with environmental legal standards and can, instead, authorize harms that would be otherwise unacceptable under Canadian law, because the Bill 'deems' all authorization requirements to have been met. Effectively, Bill C-5 creates two classes of projects: regular projects which have to go through legal checks and balances, and 'national interest' projects to which the rules won't apply. Canada's legal system — indeed, our democracy — is premised on the principle that everyone is equal under the law. Bill C-5 undermines that principle, along with others. For example, our democratic system relies on three independent but interrelated branches of government — the legislative, executive and judiciary. While the executive branch (cabinet) may propose laws, Parliament is ultimately responsible for passing them, and the judiciary ensures the lawfulness of those laws and their implementation. Separating the powers among the three branches ensures that power is not unduly concentrated in any one body. Bill C-5 throws that principle under the bus. It gives the federal cabinet regulatory power to exempt projects from environmental laws (known as so-called 'Henry VIII' clauses). In Bill C-5, they effectively allow cabinet to amend laws by making regulations about when and to whom those laws apply. Under Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to speed up development in the country's "national interest", projects will get the green light before they are reviewed, writes Anna Johnston As Supreme Court Justice Côté warned in the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act reference case, Henry VIII clauses grant cabinet 'breathtaking' powers that may run afoul of the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. Notably, the Henry VIII provisions in Bill C-5 go far beyond what the clauses in the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act do — under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, cabinet can only make regulations amending that Act, whereas under Bill C-5, cabinet can make regulations amending any federal environmental law. More concerningly, Bill C-5 effectively gives Henry VIII powers to the super minister. Whereas the cabinet would have to pass regulations saying that a law or laws don't apply to a project, the minister can simply ignore legal standards. Once cabinet orders a project of 'national interest' under the Act, it no longer needs to obtain the customary authorizations and permits. Instead, the super minister will issue a document with conditions that stands in for authorizations and permits. As noted above, the bill 'deems' that the document meets all requirements, under any enactment, that relate to the authorizations it replaces. This 'deeming' acts as legal doublespeak. For example, if a project affects an endangered species, normally the minister would have to be satisfied that it would not jeopardize the species' survival and recovery before agreeing to it. Bill C-5 will 'deem' that the project will not jeopardize the species, no matter its actual effects. These issues are concerning, not just from an environmental perspective, but also on constitutional and democracy grounds. Department of Justice guidance warns against the kind of 'deeming' provisions contained in Bill C-5, and the law invites lawsuits and protests. Indigenous rights-holders faced with the potential extinction of a species central to the exercise of their rights are unlikely to be satisfied by the explanation that Bill C-5 'deems' the species not to be harmed. Nor may the public be satisfied with having a handful of politicians declaring what is in the national interest solely on the basis of the self-interested claims of proponents. Yes, we need big, transformative investments in projects that benefit Canadians, projects like renewable energy, high-speed rail and an east-west electricity grid. We have proven tools for making efficient decisions about those projects in ways that are also rigorous, participatory and fair. Tools like independent review panels, which for decades have thoroughly assessed projects in under two years and led to better buy-in to decisions. Or regional assessments, like those for offshore wind in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, which will allow much more streamlined project reviews without compromising Indigenous engagement, public participation or science. Parliament passed Bill C-5 last Thursday. It sets a dangerous precedent for Canada, but the government can take measures to ensure that national interest projects are truly in the public interest, are carefully reviewed and have the consent of Indigenous peoples. As the recent report An Ounce of Prevention: How Strong Environmental Laws Contribute to a Prosperous and Resilient Canada shows, those outcomes are not a pipe dream. The environmental assessment of the Voisey's Bay nickel mine, conducted by a panel jointly appointed by Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Labrador Inuit Association and the Innu Nation, took roughly two years and identified ways to ensure long-lasting benefits for communities. The mine still operates to this day. The Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories underwent a two-year-long assessment that identified a number of community concerns, as well as ways to address them. Like Voisey's Bay, the mine is still in operation. As these examples show, efficient, effective and fair decisions about major projects are possible. A stitch in time saves nine.
Toronto Sun
30-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Is Canada now free of internal trade barriers? Read the fine print
Published Jun 30, 2025 • 4 minute read Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney (C) speaks during a news conference, alongside President of the King's Privy Council for Canada Dominic LeBlanc (L) and Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland (R), during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 6, 2025. Photo by DAVE CHAN / AFP via Getty Images OTTAWA — Federal and provincial leaders are working to dismantle internal trade barriers that push up the cost of goods and make it harder to do business within Canada. 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 But anyone expecting all of them to be gone by tomorrow should read the fine print. Throughout the spring federal election campaign, Liberal Leader Mark Carney repeatedly vowed to 'eliminate' interprovincial trade barriers and create 'free trade by Canada Day.' The rhetoric has been at times confusing and the political scorecard on this one is hard to track. With July 1 just a day away, Carney's government has passed its planned changes into law — but it's more like the start of a conversation than the final word. 'It's a starting gun and it's starting a lot more activity and work, which is honestly the really exciting part,' said internal trade expert Ryan Manucha. 'If any of this was easy, it would have been done.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manucha writes on the topic for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank and authored the book, 'Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada's Quest for Interprovincial Trade.' 'When I'm advising governments, I say, 'Don't think of this as a light switch,'' he said. 'We are changing the way that everyone approaches the concept of regulation and risk here, and so it's going to take some time.' The rush to break down internal barriers to trade comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war with Canada. One study estimates that existing internal trade hurdles cost the economy some $200 billion a year. Manucha said Canada has talked about this problem for decades but is only addressing it seriously now — and it would 'never have happened had we not had Trump.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said the introduction of the Carney government's bill on internal trade was 'incredible to see' because the idea was just 'an academic theory maybe even as little as eight months ago.' Bill C-5, the omnibus bill that reduces federal restrictions on interprovincial trade and also speeds up permitting for large infrastructure projects, became law on June 26. An analysis of the law by McMillan Vantage says that 'this legislation would not achieve' the elimination of all internal trade barriers. When Carney made his campaign promise, he was talking about cutting red tape put up by the federal government — not the rules set by the provinces, which have the most authority in this area. The prime minister described this effort as a sort of quid pro quo with the provinces. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We're getting rid of a bunch of duplicative federal regulations. We're going to have a principle of one project, one review — and in exchange, they're going to agree to eliminate all the barriers to trade and labour mobility,' Carney said at a rally in Kitchener, Ont., on March 26. 'The federal government committed that we will sweep away all of our impediments by Canada Day. Free trade by Canada Day.' But Canada's internal trade barriers won't all be eliminated by then — not even all the federal ones. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Canada's supply management system for dairy products, which sets provincial production quotas, will remain in place. Quebec also retains language requirements that will stay in place. Credit unions have complained that the new law does not break down barriers to their expansion into multiple provinces. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bill C-5 aligns federal requirements for goods and services with provincial ones if they cross provincial or territorial borders. It allows the provincial requirement to replace a federal one if the rules are 'comparable.' Ottawa likes to point to energy efficiency standards. A washing machine made in B.C. that meets the provincial standard still needs to meet additional federal standards before it can be sold in Alberta or Ontario. But this new law means the B.C. standard would replace the federal one. The law also eliminates redundant licensing requirements for labourers. Federal regulators would have to recognize provincial occupational certifications. So just how many federal barriers does the bill eliminate? That's hard to sort out. A lot of the details will have to wait until regulations are drafted — a process that will involve consultations with affected industries. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I don't really know what this legislation could end up doing because a lot of veto power, a lot a discretion still rests with the regulatory authorities,' Manucha said. 'According to the text of that legislation, it would seem like meat inspection would come off. Is (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) really going to allow for interprovincial trade and inspection of meat coming from non-federally licensed abattoirs? I don't know.' There is no comprehensive list of existing internal trade barriers. Even some lobby groups have told parliamentarians they don't know how many barriers their own industries face. There isn't even consensus on what all counts as a trade barrier. 'In the provincial legislation in Ontario, they're talking for many occupations having a 30-day service standard for how long it'll take for credentials to be recognized,' Manucha said. 'Nova Scotia, meanwhile, is on the 10-day turnaround time. That's less than a third. Can you call the 30-day versus 10-day a trade barrier?' Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who has repeatedly stated that most of the barriers are at the provincial level, testified to the Senate that she will meet with her provincial counterparts on July 8 to discuss next steps. One major obstacle is in Freeland's crosshairs: Canada's patchwork of interprovincial trucking regulations. 'One of three areas that I will be putting on the agenda at that meeting is trucking,' she said on June 16. 'It should be a lot easier than it is to drive a truck from Halifax to Vancouver. We need to get rid of conflicting requirements.' Canada Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Diet & Fitness
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Mark Carney names Kirsten Hillman chief negotiator with U.S.
Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman, left, and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc prepare to leave following a meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
