Overview

• Commons and Senate are set to vote on Bill C-5 by June 27 under a closure motion that keeps Parliament sitting past its planned summer break
• Opposition amendments removed cabinet’s authority to sidestep the Indian Act and barred overrides of key statutes such as the Conflict of Interest Act
• Conservative support has kept the bill on track as part of an economic response to U.S. tariffs by expediting approvals for mines, pipelines and ports deemed in the national interest
• Environmental groups and First Nations leaders criticize the process as rushed and lacking meaningful engagement, with many threatening court challenges if changes aren’t made
• Further amendments introduce new transparency measures, including timely public disclosure of conditions attached to fast-tracked projects