As Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first session of Parliament draws to a close, Liberal MPs say they need to push ahead with a major projects bill.
Bill C-5 would give the federal cabinet the ability to set aside various statutes to push forward approvals for a small number of major industrial projects, such as mines, pipelines and ports.
The legislation would allow the federal government to designate projects in the “national interest” and fast-track them by granting approvals within two years.
It appears Bill C-5 will be pushed through the House this week with the support of both Liberal and Conservative MPs, despite warnings from environmental and Indigenous groups.
The legislation is being widely criticized by Indigenous leaders and community members across the country for a lack of consultation and a tight timeline in which the government wants to pass the bill.
“We have not been properly consulted in all the bills, all the legislation throughout. It’s a one-shoe-fits-all in the government’s favour,” said Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of Treaty Six First Nations.
“It’s a slight, there is just no other way to look at it,” Chief Troy “Bossman” Knowlton of Piikani Nation said, saying Parliament’s urge to push Bill C-5 ahead will affect First Nations.
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“It can destroy our past, it can destroy of our footprint that our people had left for thousands of years to tell the story today of who we are.”
If the legislation isn’t pushed through this week, the House will rise and won’t return until September.
Some Liberals want to see this dealt with now. MP Karina Gould said the government must strike the right balance on the bill or face court challenges.
“There is a clear desire on the part of Canadians to be able to get big projects done in this country. We haven’t been able to find the right balance in order to do that,” she said.
Most Liberal MPs appear to be backing both the bill and the process.
“Are we going to continue to put this on hold, to tinker with it and make slight amendments?” said Liberal MP Marcu Powlowski.
“I think it’s important we pass this legislation and there’s always an opportunity afterwards to amend it.”
Meanwhile, other Liberal MPs say the idea of the legislation is solid, but it’s not perfect, and might need more time to finalize.
“I think we should move quickly to get projects done as quickly as possible. That’s not to say we should have unfettered discretion and unchecked power in the government; we’ve got to make sure there are guardrails,” said Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.
The House sitting is scheduled to end on Friday. The Liberal government has said it wants the bill passed before then.
For more on this story, watch the video above.
— With files from Alessia Passafiume, David Baxter and Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
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