MPs sparred over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s sweeping major projects bill as Parliament returned on Monday, with unions, First Nations leaders and opposition members all raising objections to Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act.
The 243-page bill, introduced on Sept. 21, would set a one-year timeline for federal decisions on major projects, create “national interest” zones with pre-approved projects, and expand the power of the jobs minister to intervene in labour disputes. The government says it will give businesses certainty and speed up construction.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said the strike provisions come with “guardrails” and are meant to “force people back to work” when work stoppages hurt the economy.
Conservative MP David McKenzie (Calgary Signal Hill) criticized the national interest zones. He called them “an uncertainty, it’s a political process, and it is not going to be helpful.” Conservatives generally favour faster project approvals, and have not said whether they will support or try to amend the bill.
Bloc Québécois MP Christine Normandin compared the exemptions to Donald Trump bypassing U.S. congressional checks, and said Canada should not copy that approach. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre used the return to press for one million barrels a day of diesel production, with emergency permits and tax relief.
Outside the House, labour groups went further. Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said international unions have told the government the strike provisions are “highly likely to violate” Canada’s labour obligations. CUPE has pledged to defy the bill unless it is amended.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak warned against “abusing” a majority’s powers, citing the potential effect on consultation rights. Both the AFN and unions had already raised concerns in September, as reported by Canada News Media in AFN, Unions Both Warn Ottawa on Bill C-39.
The government plans to send the bill to a special House committee rather than a standing committee, according to the reports. That choice will shape who gets to testify and how quickly amendments can be proposed. Parliament is set to adjourn Friday for a constituency week, so detailed study is not expected to start immediately.
The bill is also tied to the government’s wider push to speed up pipelines and other national-interest projects. Canada News Media has also reported on the Pacific Link pipeline proposal.
This story is developing. The reporting above relies on Canadian Press and Global News coverage of the Oct. 5 debate, and the bill’s final text and committee schedule may change.
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Via CP24 / The Canadian Press, with additional reporting from Global News.
