Liberals reject Bloc proposal to split Bill C-5 to speed 'consensual' lifting of internal trade barriers

OTTAWA — Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon rejected the Bloc Québécois’ proposal to split Bill C-5 in two parts, so that the sections on lifting internal trade barriers and the fast-tracking of major projects can be studied separately. Bloc House Leader Christine Normandin said earlier this week it made little sense that the bill, in its current form, would be sent to the House of Commons committee on transport as it falls under the mandate of Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland. Normandin instead suggested dividing the bill to study the portions on free trade and labour mobility in one committee and the fast-tracking of major projects in the national interest in another. She said the free trade portion is “rather consensual” and could go “a bit faster,” whereas the major projects portion would warrant more scrutiny. On Wednesday, MacKinnon offered a resounding “no” to the Bloc’s proposition. “This is a bill that responds to economic conditions caused by the tariff war, among other things, and mobilizes premiers, mobilizes Canadians from coast to coast to coast behind projects of national significance,” he said. “These projects have a certain urgency, as do interprovincial trade barriers that must fall,” he added. “This is a very comprehensive bill. We understand that it’s going to be debated, but it’s something that we solicited and secured a mandate for.” Prime Minister Mark Carney said his intention is to see the bill passed before June 20 , when the House of Commons rises and MPs return to their ridings for the summer. “It is a top priority for this government, and we will do everything to get it passed before the summer,” he said after C-5 was tabled on Friday. “And if Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed. That’s what Canadians expect.” MacKinnon said to date there is no consensus from other parties to sit into the summer. The part of the bill on lifting internal trade barriers would allow a good or service that meets provincial or territorial rules to have met federal requirements but also make it easier for workers to get a federal licence by recognizing provincial or territorial work authorizations. The second part, which is a bit more contentious, seeks to get projects deemed in the national interest — such as highways, pipelines, mines and nuclear facilities — built faster by having only one environmental assessment done and respecting federal conditions. On Wednesday, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) once more expressed concern the Liberals were “ramming” through this bill without giving First Nations time to properly study the text. “I keep hearing that they want to push through this legislation right to the end of this month, and I think that that’s the wrong way to go,” said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak during a press conference on Parliament Hill. Woodhouse Nepinak is expected to meet with Carney in July, presumably after the bill may have passed. She urged the government to slow down the process to allow meaningful consultation and study to occur with all the parties involved, including First Nations. “Look, take the summer, take the time to listen to First Nations, take the time to listen to Canadians. And I think that’ll make a more united country,” she said. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, on the other hand, is favourable to the fast-tracking of major projects like pipelines and dismissed the need for a consensus to move ahead. “If you wait till everybody agrees on everything, nothing will happen. You’re never going to get everybody to agree on every single project,” he told reporters on Monday. “If the prime minister says he’s going to wait until everyone agrees, then nothing will get done, which is what has been happening for the last decade,” he added. Woodhouse Nepinak said national chiefs before her were ignored in discussions on major projects, which caused civil unrest and lawsuits that slowed down the projects. “Isn’t it better to talk through things rather than always being in litigation?” she asked. “It seems like First Nations always need to litigate, and then we get… results later.” “Does Canada want to change that or not?” National Post calevesque@postmedia.com

• Carney prepared to sit over the summer to pass new bill to fast-track major projects
• Proposed fast-tracking of national projects 'serious threat' to treaty rights: AFN Chief

Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.