Liberals' major projects bill passes House of Commons with Conservative support

The Liberal government's major projects legislation passed in the House of Commons on Friday evening as MPs wrapped up the spring parliamentary sitting.

Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, essentially gives cabinet the ability to pick certain projects to speed through the regulatory process, with an eye to projects that can deliver an economic boost to Canada, help strengthen the country's autonomy and resilience, "advance the interests of Indigenous peoples" and contribute to "clean growth."

The legislation was a priority for Prime Minister Mark Carney who promised to "build big, build bold" during the spring election campaign.

Once a project is deemed in the national interest, the legislation would allow the government to skirt certain laws — such as the Impact Assessment Act — in order to get construction underway.

The legislation passed fairly quickly, having only been introduced earlier this month. The Conservatives supported the bill as a whole, while the NDP and Bloc Québécois backed a part of the bill that removes internal trade barriers.

Liberal backbencher Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who had previously called on the government to allow for more time to study the bill, also voted against the legislation.

The government hasn't said what exactly would be fast-tracked under this legislation — and there are no specific projects mentioned in the bill itself — but Carney has signalled support for new energy "corridors" in the east and west, which could include pipelines and electricity grids, new and expanded port facilities, mines and other resource-related initiatives.

After Friday's vote, Carney crossed the House floor to shake hands with a number of Conservative MPs.

Even though his party supported the bill, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer said Friday evening that the Liberals "shouldn't be giving themselves a gold star or a pat on the back." He said the legislation only allows the government to get around barriers it has imposed itself.

"We'll see what happens now. We want to see whether or not Mark Carney and the rest of the Liberal government — who have spent years fighting against the energy sector — if they can actually get results," he told reporters outside the House of Commons.

Scheer also called on the Liberals to roll back some regulatory laws.

Despite the bill passing in the House in less than a month, it isn't without its critics.

Indigenous and environmental groups, along with MPs — some within the Liberal Party — and senators, raised concerns that the bill is being rushed through Parliament and will grant cabinet sweeping powers to override other laws to plow ahead with industrial projects favoured by the government of the day.

Those criticisms prompted Carney to hold a news conference immediately after the bill passed.