Carney's push for 'nation-building' projects moves ahead despite some Indigenous opposition

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 5:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the predetermination run to "build big, physique bold" and the authorities that would alteration national fast-tracking of large projects appears poised to wide the House of Commons contempt immoderate Indigenous opposition.

The legislation, Bill C-5, fundamentally gives furniture the quality to prime definite projects to velocity done the regulatory process, with an oculus to projects that tin present an economical boost to Canada, assistance fortify the country's autonomy and resilience and, notably, "advance the interests of Indigenous peoples" and lend to "clean growth."

While the bill, the One Canadian Economy Act, is expected to walk the Commons this week with Conservative support, absorption MPs made a fig of amendments to the authorities Wednesday nighttime to, among different things, marque the streamlined process much transparent by forcing Ottawa to people the conditions of support and limiting the government's quality to let a task to bypass certain laws.

Government House person Mark MacKinnon said Thursday the furniture volition reappraisal the amendments rapidly earlier deciding what it's willing to accept.

WATCH | Carney says Indigenous rights are cardinal to C-5:

Canadians are bushed of delays that person wounded economical maturation and the authorities is determined to propulsion up with the law, helium said, which allows furniture to exempt projects from provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Impact Assessment Law successful the sanction of expediency.

Cabinet reviewing amendments

A Conservative amendment, if adopted, means however projects indispensable comply with different laws, similar the Conflict of Interest Act and Lobbying Act.

"Under the archetypal Liberal proposal, projects could person been approved and built that would financially payment members of the cabinet," the enactment said successful a statement.

The Conservatives are making changes to halt the authorities from "sneaking successful provisions that would springiness themselves the powerfulness to broadly skirt the laws of the onshore without consequences," the enactment said.

The authorities hasn't said what precisely would beryllium fast-tracked nether this legislation — and determination are no circumstantial projects mentioned successful the measure itself — but Carney has signalled enactment for caller vigor "corridors" successful the eastbound and west, which could see pipelines and energy grids, caller and expanded larboard facilities, mines and different resource-related initiatives.

WATCH | Grand main wants Governor General to intervene:

Speaking to reporters astatine an announcement Thursday about measures to support the Canadian alloy and aluminum industry, Carney said C-5 is "the halfway of our home response" to President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The propulsion to get "nation-building" projects built, galore of which would necessitate immense quantities of alloy and aluminum during construction, volition assistance hard-hit sectors weather the U.S. commercialized war, helium said.

"It's an important piece of authorities that has monolithic enactment among Canadians," MacKinnon said. "It was astatine the bosom of our election campaign and predetermination platform."

While immoderate Indigenous leaders are opposed, others are connected broadside with the propulsion to present much wealth and jobs to communities that basal to summation from development, MacKinnon said.

"There are Indigenous communities, Indigenous nations that privation to enactment — they beryllium each implicit the state and they merit to person their voices heard," MacKinnon said.

Still, immoderate Indigenous leaders are pushing backmost against giving the cabinet, oregon the curate they designate to shepherd a task through, truthful overmuch powerfulness to take large projects.

The authorities itself states the authorities volition recognize, affirm and "respect" Indigenous peoples' law rights erstwhile considering a project. But there's a fearfulness among immoderate leaders that the consultation process with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities volition beryllium inadequate fixed Carney campaigned connected making last decisions connected projects wrong a two-year timeline.

Right to beryllium consulted

The approvals process has been overmuch longer than that successful caller years with manufacture groups and critics saying endless consultations person bogged down getting things built, hurting the economy. Some Indigenous leaders, meanwhile, accidental they should beryllium fixed a meaningful magnitude of clip to connection opinions connected a way forward.

The Supreme Court has ruled Indigenous peoples person a close to beryllium consulted connected a imaginable task — but they bash not person a last veto connected whether thing should spell ahead.

Carney promised Thursday to respect the government's ineligible obligations to Indigenous peoples — and marque wealth disposable to communities that privation to instrumentality an equity involvement successful projected projects truthful immoderate imaginable wealthiness tin beryllium shared.

"Consultation, co-operation, engagement, participation is astatine the bosom of C-5 and that is however you physique a nation. And that's precise overmuch however we've designed it," Carney said.

Despite those assurances, Indigenous leaders privation much of a accidental implicit the measure itself, with clearer provisions that their rights won't beryllium trampled arsenic the authorities pushes to get things built accelerated during a commercialized war.

WATCH | Senator says he'll present amendment to hold Bill C-5:

Paul Prosper, a Mi'kmaw legislator from Nova Scotia, is promising to "slow down the process" successful the Red Chamber with an amendment to springiness Indigenous peoples much clip to measurement successful and marque their pitches to alteration the bill.

"If you don't bash it right, we're looking astatine immoderate imaginable litigation successful the future. It's champion to beryllium proactive now," Prosper said.

It's not wide if helium volition beryllium successful. The Senate has already agreed to a "work plan" to get the authorities done the precocious location earlier it rises for the summertime recess. MacKinnon said the measure volition beryllium enactment to a last ballot successful the Senate adjacent week.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who represents 49 First Nations successful bluish Ontario, wants the Governor General to measurement successful earlier giving the authorities royal assent — which is an unlikely and constitutionally dubious proposition.

"I'm hoping she's paying attraction to what's happening present truthful that she tin deliberation astir intervening," helium said.