Canada’s Senate approved Bill C-5 unamended on Thursday, granting the cabinet the authority to speed up federal reviews for major infrastructure projects.
Under the new law, the cabinet can override parts of the Impact Assessment Act to accelerate approvals for pipelines, ports, power lines and mines.
Prime Minister Mark Carney explained the change will cut red tape and help Canada compete globally.
“We must build faster without sacrificing environmental safeguards,” Carney said.
All proposed changes to guarantee Indigenous free, prior and informed consent were defeated in the Senate. Mi’kmaw Senator, Paul Prosper, called it “a betrayal of reconciliation.”
Sen. Brian Francis warned that without a clear consent process, communities may have no choice but to seek redress in the courts.
Environmental groups and opposition MPs say fast-tracking could backfire. They argue that skipping parts of the assessment process risks more legal challenges and on-the-ground delays.
The new law could skip meaningful consultation and push project timelines back by years, according to Sierra Club Canada.
To address those concerns, Carney has promised to personally lead engagement sessions with Indigenous rights holders this summer.
He will start meeting First Nations leaders on July 17 in Ottawa before travelling to B.C., Alberta and Quebec.
The bill received royal assent on June 24 and is now law, but with court challenges looming and talks just getting underway, its full impact remains unclear.
