Prime Minister Mark Carney held a meeting with hundreds of First Nations chiefs on July 17, amid widespread skepticism and frustration over his controversial major-projects legislation.Bill C-5 gives the federal government sweeping new powers to speed up permitting for what the Liberals call “nation-building projects.”Carney says Bill C-5 is needed to shore up the economy in the face of a trade war with the United States, while opponents call it a massive power grab.Here’s what’s C-5 does and what people are saying about it.What problem is this trying to solve?Canada has built few large projects over the past decade. That has led Conservatives, some provinces and some industry groups to argue that Ottawa’s regulatory burdens are holding back growth.The Liberals tried to streamline project approvals through Bill C-69, an impact assessment law meant to resolve environmental and Indigenous concerns upfront to keep projects from getting tied up in the courts.Critics say the legislation has actually been holding back major infrastructure projects since it became law in 2019. Federal Conservatives have dubbed the law the “No More Pipelines Act” and it’s deeply unpopular in Alberta and Saskatchewan.Carney was elected in April with a mandate to diversify Canada’s economy and ensure exports can more easily reach countries beyond the U.S.Ottawa has also promised to build up northern infrastructure, in part to meet a NATO military alliance spending target for critical infrastructure.Carney said Bill C-5 “creates the ability to flip … the attitude towards those projects once they are selected, once conditions are put in place — how those projects can move forward, as opposed to why.”Which projects could be fast-tracked?We don’t know yet. The government has pointed to ports, railways and sometimes pipelines. The Ontario government has suggested a major commuter highway tunnel could qualify as a nation-building project.What are the provinces doing?Some provinces have also passed legislation aimed at speeding up development.Ontario’s government has given itself the right through Bill 5 to designate “special economic zones” where it can suspend everything from safety rules to environmental and labour standards, with a focus on mining projects.British Columbia’s Bill 15 similarly allows the province to expedite the construction of anything from critical mineral mines to local hospitals. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://building.ca/