Bill C-5

One Canadian Economy Act

An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act

Part 1 enacts the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act , which establishes a statutory framework to remove federal barriers to the interprovincial trade of goods and services and to improve labour mobility within Canada. In the case of goods and services, that Act provides that a good or service that meets provincial or territorial requirements is considered to meet comparable federal requirements that pertain to the interprovincial movement of the good or provision of the service. In the case of workers, it provides for the recognition of provincial and territorial authorizations to practise occupations and for the issuance of comparable federal authorizations to holders of such provincial and territorial authorizations. It also provides the Governor in Council with the power to make regulations respecting federal barriers to the interprovincial movement of goods and provision of services and to the movement of labour within Canada.
Part 2 enacts the Building Canada Act , which, among other things,
(a) authorizes the Governor in Council to add the name of a project and a brief description of it to a schedule to that Act if the Governor in Council is of the opinion, having regard to certain factors, that the project is in the national interest;
(b) provides that determinations and findings that have to be made and opinions that have to be formed under certain Acts of Parliament and regulations for an authorization to be granted in respect of a project that is named in Schedule 1 to that Act are deemed to have been made or formed, as the case may be, in favour of permitting the project to be carried out in whole or in part;
(c) requires the minister who is designated under that Act to issue to the proponent of a project, if certain conditions are met, a document that sets out conditions that apply in respect of the project and that is deemed to be the authorizations, required under certain Acts of Parliament and regulations, that are specified in the document; and
(d) requires that minister, each year, to cause an independent review to be conducted of the status of each national interest project.

One Canadian Economy Act

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

moved that Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen in the strong cross-party support for this legislation, members understand that Canada is at a critical moment. U.S. tariffs are battering our economy and threatening to push the entire world into a recession. Hard-working Canadians are losing their jobs, businesses are losing their customers, and investors are holding back.

That is why now is the time to act decisively where we have the power to do so, here in Canada. Now is the time to build Canada, to make our country more prosperous, more resilient and stronger.

I joined the Prime Minister, along with my colleagues the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and met with the premiers at the first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon a few weeks ago. We talked together about our plan to get nation-building projects moving in Canada. We agreed to act quickly together to get this done. We must, and so we are confident that we will.

However, even acting with great focus and urgency, these nation-building projects will take a little time. That is why it is so essential for us to press ahead with a project that costs nothing and can be accomplished at the stroke of a pen: delivering free trade in Canada. Economists estimate that truly free trade within our country, making it as easy to do business between, say, B.C. and Nova Scotia as it is within one province itself, would add as much as $200 billion to Canada's economy. At this time of crisis, that is a boost we definitely need. Free trade in our own country is a great idea whose time has come.

Now that the LCBO is not stocking American wine, it makes more sense than ever to be sure that Nova Scotia and B.C. wines can be found on its shelf. A registered nurse qualified in Saskatchewan should be able to get right to work if her family moves to Newfoundland to be close to aging relatives. A plumbing firm in Winnipeg should as easily be able to expand to do jobs in Kenora as it can in Brandon, and a trucker should be able to drive from Halifax Harbour to the port of Vancouver without buying permits to cross between provinces and wasting precious time making technical adjustments after he rolls across each provincial line. Freer internal trade and easier labour mobility will also help boost our housing industry, including the construction of modular homes, which can bring down the cost of building new homes and get them finished faster.

Ultimately, the decision to build one Canadian economy out of 13 is a decision to trust one another. It is about deciding that the delicious steak that people eat in Calgary is surely good enough to serve in Charlottetown and that the dental hygienist whose patients in Moncton adore her can be counted on to do the same excellent work when she moves to Quebec City.

Australia, a country with which we have so much in common, made the decision to build a single continental economy 30 years ago. Australians decided to trust each other. Over the past three decades, that trust has enriched every Australian and strengthened the bonds that unite that beautiful country.

Now is the moment for Canada to do likewise. The wave of patriotism that has swept across our great country over the past few months has been truly inspiring and invigorating. Let us seize the moment to turn that love of Canada into action by trusting each other and creating one single Canadian economy from coast to coast to coast.

That is why we introduced this bill. We want to eliminate domestic trade barriers and build one Canadian economy. For far too long, senseless barriers have curbed trade. It is time to mutually recognize provincial and territorial regulations to facilitate trade by Canadian companies throughout the country and allow skilled workers to seize opportunities, wherever they may be.

Momentum is growing across the country toward this laudable goal. P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have all passed legislation to remove barriers to internal trade. British Columbia has passed its historic economic stabilization act, and Quebec is advancing its own reforms. Memoranda of understanding between Ontario and other provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as powerful regional agreements like the new west partnership, signal new levels of co-operation and a commitment to bring down barriers to internal trade and to make labour mobility easier. I want to salute my native Alberta for its pioneering leadership on this issue.

At the national level, through the committee on internal trade, we are accelerating efforts to eliminate remaining exceptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, advance mutual recognition in sectors such as trucking and consumer goods, and facilitate housing construction by addressing interprovincial material and labour barriers. Progress is also being made on credential recognition and direct-to-consumer alcohol sales.

I encourage all members of the House to support this work to strengthen transportation and trade infrastructure and deliver on the promise of a truly unified economy.

This is something leaders from all political parties agree on. After the first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon, premiers of all political stripes were enthusiastic about our shared mission to build Canada. Premier Kinew said, “It's a generational opportunity for Canadians, but it's also a generational opportunity for some of the poorest communities in our country.”

Premier Legault said, “We had an excellent meeting.”

I say to my dear colleagues that this is truly not a partisan effort. These are nation-building priorities, ones that benefit every region, every business and every Canadian. What a delicious irony it would be for us to respond to tariffs imposed from abroad by finally tearing down the tariff and trade barriers we have imposed on each other.

Let us get this done once and for all and deliver free trade in Canada. Let us get this important work done together. I know that we can do it.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the Minister of Transport's speech here today. First of all, she did mention interprovincial trucking, yet the bill has nothing to do with interprovincial trucking. I would like the minister to account for whether or not she is prepared to show some leadership in that area.

More than that, the minister has talked about consensus. Essentially, the Prime Minister has given a veto to every provincial premier. That means that the bill would enshrine 13 different economies by giving each provincial premier a veto. Would the minister please explain why there is this contradiction? We cannot have one national economy if we have 13 different decision-makers when it comes to getting big projects built.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by recognizing, as I did before the Senate today, the pioneering work the member for Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna has done on this issue. I think all of us remember, who could forget, his slogan to “free the beer”. He was ahead of his time.

I have emphasized that this is not a partisan bill. This is about work that I believe all Canadians can support. We are very lucky. There is a window right now to get this work done, and I am really grateful to the members opposite for supporting it.

I also want to address the issue of trucking. Trucking is absolutely essential, and it is essential to make it easier to drive trucks across the country. That is why I mentioned it in my opening remarks. We are going to have a trucking hackathon at—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue for questions and comments.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister a question about this bill, which some might see as a declaration of war against first nations.

Earlier on, I made a little pilgrimage to the Senate to hear what National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak had to say. One of the things she mentioned was how important and urgent it is to respect the obligation to conduct advance consultations in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This process was clearly botched. The government did not obtain the free, prior and informed consent of first nations.

Will the minister commit to responding to the national chief's request by extending consultations with indigenous peoples? She is asking that this be done over the summer or in the fall. Will the minister give her a timely answer?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this bill clearly states that we will work closely with indigenous peoples, first nations, Inuit and Métis. We have established five criteria to determine a project's importance. One of them states that the project has to serve the interests of indigenous peoples.

I would also like to point out that we have announced nearly $20 million in annual funding to support consultations and essential work in co-operation with indigenous peoples.

Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of the $10‑billion investment to support indigenous peoples' involvement.

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the hon. minister for all the work she is doing to make sure we honour the mandate that Canadians sent us to the House to do.

Earlier in the House, I heard a lot of questions asking if the government was moving too fast, if there are benefits to removing these internal barriers to trade and if that was actually going to have an impact on jobs within communities across Canada. Maybe the member could answer those questions.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at up to $200 billion, our internal trade barriers are effectively a 7% tariff that we have imposed on ourselves. Members can think about how much national focus there is on tariffs being imposed on us by other countries, yet we impose a 7% tariff on each other. Let us trust each other. Let us seize this opportunity. Let us help ourselves and help each other.

[Gaétan Malette, Conservative, Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great humility that I rise today for my first speech in the House of Commons. I would like to use this opportunity to thank my constituents of Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk for electing me to represent them here. I am honoured to have earned their trust and to serve as their voice in our nation's Parliament. I would also like to thank my team for their dedication throughout my campaign and my family for their unwavering support in this new chapter.

The riding is a vast and diverse region, rich in natural resources, strong culture heritage and resilient communities, and I am committed to ensuring their voices are heard and their priorities are upheld.

Over the last Liberal decade, our economy has experienced the worst economic growth in the G7. We have become more dependent on the United States, and the buying power of our workers' paycheques has declined because Liberal laws have blocked resource development.

Despite having the most resources per capita of any country on earth, we continue to fall short of our economic potential. The recent tariffs from the United States have turned this problem into a full-fledged crisis, one that underscores the urgent need to rebuild economic prosperity for all Canadians. The Prime Minister has recently introduced Bill C-5. A very small number of interprovincial barriers would be eliminated by this bill, which is better than nothing, but tens of billions of dollars of obstacles at the provincial level would remain untouched.

In my professional experience as a forestry executive and through my 45 years of work in the forestry and mining sectors across northeastern Ontario, I have seen first-hand the barriers that stand in the way of productivity, investment and opportunity. Bill C-5, in its current form, fails to meaningfully address or eliminate such barriers. It is not the economic breakthrough the Liberal government wants Canadians to believe it is. Rather, it is a minor baby step and a missed opportunity to reach independence and self-reliance.

Bill C‑5 does not actually address the structural issues that are holding back Canada's economic development. Although the bill does not propose anything that slows down free trade or infrastructure projects, it lacks a practical vision for adapting to our current situation.

For those listening at home, Bill C-5 is split into two parts. The first part is about free trade and labour exchange across Canada. The second part is about projects deemed to be in the national interest, which will have their approval process streamlined by reporting to one point of contact. It includes provisions for the federal government to determine whether a major project is in the national interest based on consultation with provinces, territories and indigenous people.

Despite its ambitions, Bill C-5 falls incredibly short of delivering true free trade and getting major projects built quickly. There are simply too many fault points in Bill C-5 for us to accept the bill in its current state.

Bill C-5 does not present any concrete timelines. It does not provide for a public list of priority projects and it lacks clarity, and yet these key elements are essential to ensuring speed, accountability and public trust in the process. Without those safeguards, the bill cannot achieve its objectives or live up to Canadians' expectations.

The Liberals' own laws are barriers to development, and this bill is an admission to that. There is a way to fast-track unleashing Canadian resources. It is to remove the Liberal antidevelopment laws that block projects in first place, such as Bill C-69, Bill C-48, the oil and gas cap, and the industrial carbon tax.

This bill, like many of the Liberal government's bills, reflects a limited approach and reinforces the idea that maintaining its restrictive legislation is hampering much-needed economic growth.

Canada has 28 projects stuck in federal review, in nuclear, uranium, mining, oil and gas, hydro and roads to unlock critical minerals. Those are real projects with real proponents. By the Liberals' own argument, the obvious place to start, which would not even require legislation, would be to fast-track those assessments and approvals.

Look at what is already being done south of the border in the United States. The U.S. approves major energy projects, such as oil, gas, critical minerals and uranium, on federal lands in as few as 28 days.

The Liberals now promise a two-year timeline, where Conservatives proposed a one-year maximum wait time for approvals, with a target of six months for projects of national importance, and to also uphold the duty to consult and actually get projects built.

The Liberal government needs to get with the times. If it really wants to make Canada truly self-reliant and competitive with the U.S., we need to actually compete. The world is becoming only more chaotic and fast-paced. We need realistic times to deliver our projects, or we risk staying left behind. Canada has what the world needs. We need to give it to them when they need it.

The Prime Minister says this is an exceptional crisis. If that is true, why do we need to agree to a two-year wait time? In a real crisis, leadership calls for urgent action. Two years is simply too long. Canada is dependent on and vulnerable to the United States. The Liberals' proposal will continue to hold Canada back and leave its resources unused in the ground.

Conservatives want Canada to compete and to achieve true economic and energy security. That means shovel-ready economic zones and scrapping the cap on Canadian oil and gas. Canadians need affordable, reliable power and fuel so Canada can be self-reliant and achieve real economic independence from the United States. The way we handle our resources lays the ground for the future of our country, a country that is self-reliant and independent, and restores the Canadian promise that anyone who works hard gets a good life in our great Canada.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member across the way on his maiden speech to the House.

I am taking a look at Bill C-5, and I have had the opportunity to ask this question of the member's colleagues in the Conservative caucus. We appreciate the fact that the member is supporting the legislation and that we are going to see it pass on Friday.

Is there anything specific? I have yet to hear anything from the Conservatives saying there is an amendment that they believe would make a difference. Does the member have any sort of a change that he would like to see made to the legislation itself?

[Gaétan Malette, Conservative, Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, there are 28 projects right now, in nuclear, uranium, mining, oil and gas, hydro, roads and critical minerals, and they are stuck in the process. These would be great ones to start with, and the laws would not need to be changed.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-5, as it currently stands, would allow the federal government to say that it will consult Quebec, for example.

Quebec says no, it does not want a pipeline project within its borders. However, there is absolutely nothing in Bill C‑5 to indicate that a consensus or Quebec's approval would be required before a pipeline could be built.

Is the member aware of this reality? Does he agree that the provinces should have the final say on projects located within their borders?

[Gaétan Malette, Conservative, Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I listen to the news on Radio-Canada every day. What I believe I am hearing from the people of Quebec and their premier is that they are open to serious negotiations for a pipeline in Quebec.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Kapiskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk on his first speech in the House of Commons. He mentioned that he had worked in the forestry sector.

What measures could we take to support the forestry sector in Canada through Bill C-5 or other initiatives here in the House of Commons?

[Gaétan Malette, Conservative, Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that our forestry industry used to be a world leader.

During the trade wars that started in the eighties, which are still going on after 45 years, there were sawmills and pulp and paper mills in every single province. In Ontario, where I worked, there were 21 pulp and paper mills when I started; there are three left. Let us make sure this does not happen to the rest of our industries.

It is easier to fix than to rebuild. It will take us 20 years to rebuild the forestry industry. We have huge, healthy forests, and we need to process them. If not, they will burn down.