Contentious 'One Canadian Economy' bill passes House

Article content

OTTAWA — The government’s wishes of passing a controversial nation-building bill before summer break have come true.

Despite fierce opposition from community groups, First Nations leaders and even within the Liberal caucus, Bill C-5 — the One Canadian Economy Act — has passed third reading in the House of Commons.

Third reading passed in the House 306 to 31.

Following the vote, the House adjourned until Sept. 15.

The bill will now move to the Senate, which will sit June 25 to 27 to consider the legislation.

C-5 allows cabinet to grant fast approvals for major nation-building projects such as pipelines, ports, mines and energy ventures, and lift barriers to interprovincial trade.

Opposition from Indigenous communities was brisk, claiming the bill usurps Indigenous rights guaranteed under Sec. 35 of the Constitution.

“The constitutional obligations to obtain free prior and informed consent — there’s no reason to fast-track a bill in the name of national interest,” said NDP MP Leah Gazan earlier this week.

“In the name of national interest, that will be decided upon in the absence of Indigenous people.”

C-5 made its way through the House at an unusually quick pace, part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s hopes of getting the bill enshrined into law by Canada Day.

The bill passed first reading on June 6 and was immediately accelerated to the House Transport, Infrastructure and Communities committee, which wrapped deliberations on on Thursday.

With the NDP and Bloc opposed to C-5, quick passage was due to a rare alliance between the Liberals and Tories.

“Canadians are not short on talent, we’re not short on ambition, we’re certainly not short of natural resources, but what we are short on is a government that knows how to unleash that potential and gets things built,” said Flamborough-Glanbrook-Brant North MP Dan Muys during the third reading debate.

“I hear this all the time — people are ready to work, businesses want to expand, communities are waiting for critical infrastructure, but over and over again we run into the same thing: bureaucratic bottlenecks, over-regulation and a government more interested in headline-grabbing projects rather than permitting economically important ones.”

Those who voted against the bill include Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, Finance Critic Gabriel Ste-Marie and Bloc Trade Critic Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay.

Among those applauding the move is the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who said stripping important projects from needless bureaucracy is vital to economic prosperity.

“This legislation rises to meet the moment of the economic crisis that Canada is facing from the United States’ unjust trade war on Canadian goods and resources,” read a statement from chamber public policy head Matthew Holmes.

“In response, we must trade more within Canada, while looking at like-minded countries in Europe and around the world that are eager to buy our goods and resources.

“We cannot have all our eggs in the United States economic basket any longer.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video