The guiding philosophy of the new Liberal government’s approach to infrastructure projects is the same one as Larry the Cable Guy’s: “Git-r-done.”
Driving the news: On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney will present the nation’s premiers with new legislation aimed at reducing approval times for major infrastructure projects deemed to be in Canada’s national interest, per the Globe and Mail.
- Such projects include ports, clean energy grids, trade corridors, nuclear facilities, critical mineral mines, carbon-capture facilities, and “pipelines that make sense.”
- The legislation will also establish a single federal office to handle all matters. Carney wants to see the bill tabled ASAP and hopes to have it passed by July 1.
Big picture: Bills aimed at fast-tracking major projects have popped up provincially too, including a B.C. bill that would change environmental assessment processes and an Ontario bill that would create areas where companies are exempt from following certain laws.
Why it matters: Excruciatingly long approval times have been cited by infrastructure developers for years as the main reason why national resource projects are so hard to build.
- And sure enough, more natural resource projects were put on hold, suspended, cancelled, or otherwise canned than completed between 2023 and 2024.
Yes, but: Proposals to speed up approvals have received heavy criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous groups for putting climate concerns and economic reconciliation on the back burner.—QH