QuickQuotes: MPs react to Carney’s new Building Canada Strong Act

The Building Canada Strong Act, tabled by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government on Monday, aims to fast-track approvals for major projects. The legislation removes the responsibility for reviewing many large projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Instead, the Canada Energy Regulator would handle reviews of international and interprovincial pipelines, transmission lines, and offshore renewable energy projects, while the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission would oversee nuclear and uranium projects.

The bill also introduces "regions of national interest," which would grant projects within their boundaries the same treatment as projects of national interest. Designating an area as a region of national interest would require consultations, with special exemptions allowed for a dozen different laws for projects within these regions.

In terms of labor relations, the legislation proposes changes to Section 107 of the Labour Code, often used to end strikes in multiple sectors like airlines, ports, and railways. The government official briefing reporters stated that the jobs minister would not gain new powers through the legislation but would have to meet two conditions before using Section 107: declaring that a dispute is adversely affecting "the national interest" and considering a report from a special mediator.

This mediator would help set out the parties' positions and provide recommendations towards a new collective agreement.

However, environmental groups have pushed back against the proposed changes, expressing concerns over the exemption of certain projects from laws protecting species at risk. The government had previously abandoned plans to exempt specific projects from such protections due to widespread negative feedback during consultations. Despite this, the legislation still gives Ottawa the power to allow projects with a "national interest" designation to bypass a dozen laws, including the Species At Risk Act.