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3mo ago

Canada Enacts Bill C-5 Granting Cabinet Broad Fast-Track Powers

Passed on June 26 without amendments, the law empowers cabinet to fast-track national-interest projects by exempting them from key environmental regulations.

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Demonstrators, including the Chiefs of Ontario, gather to protest the federal government’s Bill C-5 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable
Prime Minister Mark Carney is joined by members of his cabinet and caucus as he speaks at a news conference in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Friday, June 20, 2025, after Bill C-5 passed in the House. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Overview

  • After fast-tracked passage through the House and Senate, Bill C-5 received royal assent on June 26 and immediately became law.
  • The law lets the federal cabinet list “national-interest” projects and exempt them from most federal environmental statutes before formal assessments.
  • mbly of FirsFirst Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and other Indigenous leaders criticized the limited consultation and potential erosion of treaty rights.
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney defended the legislation as essential to address an economic crisis triggered by the trade war with the United States.
  • Cabinet is soliciting project proposals from provinces and planning an engagement session with First Nations on July 17 before formal designations.