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National Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Kelly McParland: Carney and Ford race to build as anti-development forces coalesce
Article content Hard to argue with that, but argument, of course, there has been. The act 'is a case study in how not to engage with Indigenous nations,' complained Chief Lance Haymond of the Kebaowek First Nation. It's 'a naked power grab that tramples our democracy,' according to the Toronto Star. 'Not even Harper tried to rev up a bulldozer like this,' asserted Elizabeth May, Parliament's sole Green member, who's always keen to get in a shot at her much-more successful political rival. Article content The bill was approved with the support of the Opposition Conservatives, which was enough in itself to upset 'progressives.' Added to Carney's wholesale adoption of other Conservative aims — a cancelled carbon tax, tax cuts, tougher borders, immigration reform — it threatened an outbreak of partisan dysphoria among the part of the populace that's accustomed to ensuring nothing constructive ever gets done. May, for one, fears the collaboration might continue, as if constructive co-operation between two parties that are supported by 85 per cent of voters would be bad for the country. Article content Article content Unlike Ford, though, Carney appears not to be the apologizing type. He's more the 'let's get serious with our accusations' type. Responding to the outpouring of complaints, he noted that, 'Consultation, co-operation, engagement, participation is at the heart of C-5 and that is how you build a nation.' The bill not only aims to support Indigenous partnerships, 'but also to finance equity ownership in these nation-building projects for Indigenous peoples, Indigenous groups, Indigenous rights holders.' Article content Right off the top, the bill states that, 'The government of Canada is committed to respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples recognized and affirmed by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the rights set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.' Article content Clearly that isn't enough to convince 'progressives' who voted in the Liberals but don't trust them to keep their word even when it's written into legislation. You can't really blame them given how often the previous Liberal government broke its word, ignored the rules and bound itself to promises it showed no intention of keeping. Many of those same promise-breakers are now senior members of Carney's cabinet. Article content Article content Learning to deal with the country's large and firmly embedded barriers to progress is something Carney will have to master. Canada didn't get to this position of lethargy and blockage accidentally; it took the determined efforts of armies of professional adversaries and disputants over an extended period. A single bill, no matter how optimistically titled, isn't going to turn the tide against decades of obstructionism. Article content The doubts of Native-Canadians arise from centuries of bad experiences with untrustworthy governments. Carney could have saved himself some trouble if he'd paused his sprint to a self-imposed legislative deadline to better address their concerns. As it was, he spent much of the news conference following the act's passage responding to pointed questions about those concerns and pledging to spend a good chunk of the summer meeting with Indigenous leaders to make up for the misstep. Article content May's concerns about the dangers of co-operation aside, surveys suggest Carney and Ford remain in favour. Ford was recently rated as the country's most popular Conservative, ahead of seatless federal leader Pierre Poilievre. Popularity in politics is fleeting, however, and needs to be used wisely while it lasts. It appears they share an understanding of their situation, which would explain the sense of hurry in Ottawa and Toronto to get something done while they still have the chance. Article content Article content Article content
National Observer
19-06-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Carney's controversial major projects bill clears committee
Running roughshod over the environment. Spawning the next Idle No More movement. Picking economic winners and losers. Prime Minister Mark Carney 's Building Canada Act is anything if not a magnet for criticism. The Liberal government's controversial legislation that would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday. A House of Commons panel sat from Wednesday afternoon to after midnight reviewing Bill C-5 in a hurried study, as the Liberal government seeks to pass it through the chamber by week's end. Indigenous and environmental groups, along with opposition MPs and senators, raised concerns that the bill is being rushed through parliament and will grant cabinet sweeping powers to override other laws to plow ahead with industrial projects favoured by the government of the day. 'The process that led to Bill C-5 is a case study in how not to engage with Indigenous nations,' said Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Haymond, adding there was no 'meaningful engagement' or a 'recognition of the complexity of our rights, titles and interests.' 'The conditions for an Idle No More 2.0 uprising are being written into the law as we speak,' he told the House of Commons transport committee late Wednesday night. The legislation enjoys support from the business community and building trades, who testified to parliament that it can take longer to get projects approved than to get them built. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc appeared at the hearings to defend the bill, warning Canada is weathering a 'storm of change' amid US President Donald Trump's punishing trade war and that the country needs to quickly bolster the economy. 'Canadians have entrusted us to do things differently and better and move nation-building projects forward,' he said. The bill is two pieces of legislation rolled into one, with the first part aimed at breaking down internal trade barriers – something Carney promised to achieve by Canada Day. The second part grants the government the ability to designate major projects to be in the "national interest," then fast-track their approval. Thanks to help from the Conservatives, who won a handful of amendments to the bill, the Liberal legislation appears on track to clear the Commons at a brisk pace. Even still, the Tories and the Bloc Québécois raised concerns that it consolidates too much power in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet. In a series of testy exchanges with LeBlanc, Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval said there's no guarantee that the minister in charge of the new process will act in the best interests of the public by granting itself far-reaching powers. 'What we have at the end of the day is a series of decisions that will be made behind closed doors … and nothing guarantees that you won't transform yourself into the minister of cronyism,' he said in French. 'I do not agree that this bill opens the door to corruption,' LeBlanc said in French. As some MPs trotted out comparisons to the Emergencies Act, LeBlanc balked at the idea and added that it's not comparable to a 'White House presidential order,' either. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence pressed LeBlanc on whether there are sufficient ethics screens in place. He noted that Carney previously chaired Brookfield, which has a hand in infrastructure and construction, reviving conflict of interest concerns about Carney's past ties to the firm that the party brought up constantly throughout the recent election. LeBlanc said elected officials would continue to be bound by current ethics rules. Critics lined up on Wednesday to warn one after another that the bill could pose a threat to species at risk and allow Ottawa to sidestep its duty to consult with Indigenous Peoples. 'The last thing we want to do is hold up industry and projects with court cases, and this is exactly where it's headed,' Trevor Mercredi, grand chief of the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, told the Commons committee. "We say go back to the drawing board," Charles Hatt, climate program director with Ecojustice, said at a press conference. Anna Johnston, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, said the bill throws the principle of informed decision-making "out the window." "Allowing cabinet to decide whether projects proceed before reviewing them is like building a house and then calling an engineer to ask if it's safe," she said. Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski said he understands the concerns raised by Indigenous and environmental groups but believes the government needs to act quickly. "Are we going to continue to put this on hold, to tinker with it and make slight amendments? I think it's important we pass this legislation and there's always an opportunity afterwards to amend it," he said. Heather Exner-Pirot of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank warned the bill lets political Ottawa pick winners and losers and is 'rife with potential for abuse,' but she said she does not oppose it. She said at the hearings that the Canadian economy needs to be turned around at a critical moment, and this should be the start of broader reforms to spur investment. 'What good is a pipeline if the emissions cap means you can't fill it? What good is a railway if the Impact Assessment Act means you can't mine products to ship on it?' The House is scheduled to sit until Friday, and a Senate programming motion has the upper chamber wrapping up its examination of Bill C-5 by June 27.
Global News
19-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Carney's major projects bill sails through committee. What's next?
Running roughshod over the environment. Spawning the next Idle No More movement. Picking economic winners and losers. Prime Minister Mark Carney's Building Canada Act is anything if not a magnet for criticism. The Liberal government's controversial legislation that would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday. A House of Commons panel sat from Wednesday afternoon to after midnight reviewing Bill C-5 in a hurried study, as the Liberal government seeks to pass it through the chamber by week's end. Indigenous and environmental groups, along with opposition MPs and senators, raised concerns that the bill is being rushed through parliament and will grant cabinet sweeping powers to override other laws to plow ahead with industrial projects favoured by the government of the day. Story continues below advertisement 'The process that led to Bill C-5 is a case study in how not to engage with Indigenous nations,' said Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Haymond, adding there was no 'meaningful engagement' or a 'recognition of the complexity of our rights, titles and interests.' 'The conditions for an Idle No More 2.0 uprising are being written into the law as we speak,' he told the House of Commons transport committee late Wednesday night. The legislation enjoys support from the business community and building trades, who testified to parliament that it can take longer to get projects approved than to get them built. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc appeared at the hearings to defend the bill, warning Canada is weathering a 'storm of change' amid U.S. President Donald Trump's punishing trade war and that the country needs to quickly bolster the economy. 'Canadians have entrusted us to do things differently and better and move nation-building projects forward,' he said. 1:54 More pushback for Bill C-5 from Indigenous groups The bill is two pieces of legislation rolled into one, with the first part aimed at breaking down internal trade barriers – something Carney promised to achieve by Canada Day. Story continues below advertisement The second part grants the government the ability to designate major projects to be in the 'national interest,' then fast-track their 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 Thanks to help from the Conservatives, who won a handful of amendments to the bill, the Liberal legislation appears on track to clear the Commons at a brisk pace. Even still, the Tories and the Bloc Québécois raised concerns that it consolidates too much power in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet. In a series of testy exchanges with LeBlanc, Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval said there's no guarantee that the minister in charge of the new process will act in the best interests of the public by granting itself far-reaching powers. 'What we have at the end of the day is a series of decisions that will be made behind closed doors … and nothing guarantees that you won't transform yourself into the minister of cronyism,' he said in French. 'I do not agree that this bill opens the door to corruption,' LeBlanc said in French. As some MPs trotted out comparisons to the Emergencies Act, LeBlanc balked at the idea and added that it's not comparable to a 'White House presidential order,' either. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence pressed LeBlanc on whether there are sufficient ethics screens in place. Story continues below advertisement He noted that Carney previously chaired Brookfield, which has a hand in infrastructure and construction, reviving conflict of interest concerns about Carney's past ties to the firm that the party brought up constantly throughout the recent election. LeBlanc said elected officials would continue to be bound by current ethics rules. 1:46 Can the Liberal government's trade bill unify Canada's economy? Critics lined up on Wednesday to warn one after another that the bill could pose a threat to species at risk and allow Ottawa to sidestep its duty to consult with Indigenous Peoples. 'The last thing we want to do is hold up industry and projects with court cases, and this is exactly where it's headed,' Trevor Mercredi, grand chief of the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, told the Commons committee. 'We say go back to the drawing board,' Charles Hatt, climate program director with Ecojustice, said at a press conference. Story continues below advertisement Anna Johnston, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, said the bill throws the principle of informed decision-making 'out the window.' 'Allowing cabinet to decide whether projects proceed before reviewing them is like building a house and then calling an engineer to ask if it's safe,' she said. Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski said he understands the concerns raised by Indigenous and environmental groups but believes the government needs to act quickly. 'Are we going to continue to put this on hold, to tinker with it and make slight amendments? I think it's important we pass this legislation and there's always an opportunity afterwards to amend it,' he said. Heather Exner-Pirot of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank warned the bill lets political Ottawa pick winners and losers and is 'rife with potential for abuse,' but she said she does not oppose it. She said at the hearings that the Canadian economy needs to be turned around at a critical moment, and this should be the start of broader reforms to spur investment. 'What good is a pipeline if the emissions cap means you can't fill it? What good is a railway if the Impact Assessment Act means you can't mine products to ship on it?' The House is scheduled to sit until Friday, and a Senate programming motion has the upper chamber wrapping up its examination of Bill C-5 by June 27. Story continues below advertisement — With files from Kyle Duggan, Alessia Passafiume, David Baxter and Sarah Ritchie
