Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the One Canadian Economy Act on Friday.
The Canadian Press
The federal government has tabled legislation that details what it will do to bolster trade amongst provinces and territories and how it will fast-track major infrastructure projects.
Bill C-5 is entitled One Canadian Economy: An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.
It was tabled after a first ministers meeting in Saskatoon in which Prime Minister Mark Carney, premiers and territorial leaders talked about expediting major projects and interprovincial trade.
During a news conference on Parliament Hill on Friday, Mr. Carney said the legislation would create one Canadian economy out of 13, allowing more goods and services to be transported, sold and bought across Canada.
Also, he said it would facilitate the construction of “nation-building projects.”
These could include highways, ports, airports, oil pipelines, critical minerals mines and nuclear facilities.
Mr. Carney said the legislation is a top priority for his government and he would like to see it enacted before the summer. The Commons is set to sit until June 20.
“If Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed,” he said.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to build strength at home. This bill helps to unlock that.”
Trade/labour barriers
New federal legislation would cut internal trade barriers, advance ‘nation-building’ projects
The text of the legislation describes its purpose as promoting free trade and labour mobility by removing federal barriers to the interprovincial movement of goods and services within Canada.
At same time, there’s a commitment to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians, their social and economic well-being and the environment.
The legislation would align federal rules and regulations with those from provinces and territories.
A good or service created in line with the requirements of a province or territory would meet comparable federal requirements.
Also, a worker authorized by a provincial or territorial jurisdiction could more easily work in the same occupation in a federal jurisdiction or secure a federal licence.
On Friday, Mr. Carney noted that provinces and territories have announced seven such pieces of legislation and more are in the works.
Nation-building projects
Mr. Carney told the news conference it has become too difficult to build in Canada because major projects need to go through too many sequential reviews and assessments.
“It is holding the country back,” he said.
The legislation says it’s supposed to enhance Canada’s prosperity, security, economic security, defence and autonomy by ensuring that projects in the national interest are advanced through an accelerated approval process.
A single set of conditions would have to be met for projects to proceed and proponents would get a sense of what they need to do to secure final approval for projects within two years.
This process would be managed by a newly created Major Federal Project Office.
The government is looking for projects that:
- Strengthen Canada’s autonomy, resilience and security;
- Provide economic or other benefits to Canada;
- Have a high likelihood of successful execution;
- Advance the interests of Indigenous peoples;
- Contribute to clean growth and to Canada’s objectives with regard to climate change.
Indigenous perspectives
The legislation mandates meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples during the process of determining which projects are in the national interest and developing conditions for projects.
The new Federal Major Project Office will be advised by an Indigenous Advisory Council whose members will include representatives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit.
The government is doubling an existing Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to $10-billion from $5-billion to allow more Indigenous communities to become owners of major programs.
And the legislation would uphold the government’s commitment under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act to fulfill a duty to consult on major projects.
AFN calls emergency meeting to discuss Bill C-5
Official Opposition reaction
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was skeptical about the measures announced by the federal Liberal government.
At a news conference, Mr. Poilievre referenced labour mobility.
He said doctors in Canada who have been trained abroad should be allowed to practise in Canada if they pass a rigorous test and meet Canadian standards.
“That is one way to knock down barriers between provinces,” he said.
Mr. Poilievre also said the government should just get rid of laws that block projects in general rather than making exemptions for certain projects.
“If you have a wall that’s blocking everybody from getting where they need to go, why would you say that only a certain group of people are allowed to go around it and the rest must stand there facing that wall,” Mr. Poilievre said.
“While the government made minor baby steps, what we needed was a big breakthrough on interprovincial trade. And we will keep fighting for that.”