KEY POINTS
- Canada’s draft bill sets a one-year deadline for federal reviews and decisions on major projects, partly by running permit processes and environmental reviews concurrently.
- The legislation preserves Indigenous consultation rights, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said, while pressing for faster engagement and a more efficient civil service.
- A separate provision would require a 21-day special mediation before a minister could end major strikes or lockouts, a response to union anger over past interventions.
Canada on Monday unveiled draft legislation to speed up approvals for major natural resource projects, a change Prime Minister Mark Carney says the country needs to withstand US tariffs and revive growth.
The bill sets a one-year deadline for federal reviews and decisions, largely by running permit processes and environmental reviews at the same time rather than one after another. Currently, some energy and resource projects in Canada take a decade or more to move from proposal to completion, a delay Carney blames for holding back investment. Moreover, the legislation also makes it harder for a minister to force striking workers back to their jobs.
A push for faster decisions
The government wants the bureaucracy to move quicker. According to Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, the bill signals that every part of government must “raise our competence” and do environmental work “better and faster.” Furthermore, he said the civil service will be held accountable to the new timeline.
Ottawa cautioned that speed does not rest on regulators alone. Specifically, project proponents will need to supply data and project information promptly for the one-year target to hold. Importantly, Hodgson said the bill preserves Indigenous groups’ right to consultation and accommodation on projects on their territory, though he wants those talks done faster.
Labour code shake-up
The bill also reworks a contentious labour rule. Previously, the jobs minister could quickly end strikes and lockouts to “maintain or secure industrial peace,” a power Ottawa used in railways, ports, airlines and postal services, angering unions. Now, a special mediator would work with the parties for 21 days before any intervention. Additionally, the minister would first need the mediator’s report and a damage assessment from the employment ministry.
Carney’s Liberals hold a majority in the House of Commons, so the legislation should eventually pass. However, opposition parties could demand changes and stretch out the process.
