“I want the House to pass this bill. It makes reviews for major projects faster by setting a one-year deadline and cutting out duplicate steps. We still protect the environment and talk with Indigenous groups, but decisions will happen sooner so we do not lose jobs and investments.”

“Madam Speaker, it is a great honour to stand here today with my hon. colleagues in the House as we turn our attention to the proposed building Canada strong act, a bill, as we know, that would modernize regulatory reviews of major projects in this country and eliminate costly delays and uncertainty for proponents while ensuring that the rights and interests of indigenous peoples are upheld and that we maintain Canada’s world-class environmental standards. Canada has a simple question. Can we turn our enormous potential into real jobs, real projects and real prosperity? We have what the world wants. We have the energy, the resources, the technology, the workforce and what cannot be found in many other jurisdictions: We have the trust. However, it is not enough if it takes too long to make a decision, issue a permit or get shovels in the ground. I do not think I need to remind anybody here that Canada faces an unprecedented economic threat, uncertainty and instability, circumstances that we did not create, that our workers did not create, but that have forced us to change in order to protect those good jobs, our economy and our sovereignty. That is exactly why we are bringing forward the building Canada strong act. This is about moving with urgency. It is about giving Canada a regulatory system that is clear, credible and capable of delivering. It is about doing it without in any way compromising Canada’s world-class environmental protections and while upholding indigenous treaty rights. We must move faster, but we cannot cut corners. We must protect the environment, but we also must create good jobs. We must build responsibly and with urgency because in the world we face today, delay is not an option. When a responsible project does not move forward, the investment will go somewhere else, the jobs and the opportunities will go somewhere else, and our government will not let the future be defined by missed opportunities because of delay. The building Canada strong act proposes changes to a lot of things. We understand that. There would be changes to the Impact Assessment Act, the Building Canada Act, the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Species at Risk Act and the Canadian Navigable Waters Act. That is a lot of legislative titles, but the purpose is clear. It is to make federal decisions faster, to make the process clearer and to give communities, indigenous partners, workers, investors and Canadians greater certainty about what happens next. We have heard from the public that we do not need weaker standards, and we will never have those. We need a government that can organize itself and coordinate things to work more responsibly and more expeditiously. That is the balance in this bill: speed and responsibility, growth and protection, ambition and trust. The proposed amendments would create a more coordinated federal process for all major projects, with clear timelines and more predictable decisions. Once a proponent has submitted a complete application with all the required information, federal reviews and decisions would be made within a year. In simple terms, the work would happen together instead of separately, not one step after another. Impact assessments and permit reviews would proceed at the same time, federal experts would be brought in earlier, duplication would be reduced, and problems would be identified sooner, not at the end of the process when they are hard and, frankly, expensive to solve. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is already helping proponents get ready before formal assessment begins. It is ensuring close coordination with federal departments and agencies, enhancing co-operation with provinces under landmark agreements for one project, one review, and focusing assessments on key issues within federal jurisdiction. This bill also introduces amendments that would ensure the federal regulator, with the most relevant experience and expertise, is carrying out impact assessments, putting the right expertise in the lead. Under this proposed approach, pipelines, transmission lines and certain offshore renewable energy projects regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator would solely be assessed by the CER through its process under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act. For nuclear and uranium projects, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission would, logically, conduct impact assessments by following the rigorous process and requirements set out by the Impact Assessment Act. This is all common sense. These regulators understand these technologies. They understand the risks. They understand the full life cycle of these projects that they regulate. However, let me be clear: Environmental, health, social, economic and indigenous considerations would continue to be assessed. The standards would remain. The oversight would remain. What would change is the unnecessary duplication between federal processes that slows things down. Another important improvement being introduced through the bill would be the creation of a federal review coordination function and a Crown consultation hub, both to be housed inside the Impact Assessment Agency. The federal review coordinator would be responsible for ensuring that impact assessments are led by the Impact Assessment Agency and federal permits meet the new timelines. That is key. It would also work with experts in different federal departments to ensure that everything stays organized and on track. The Crown consultation hub would coordinate one clear consultation process for each indigenous group affected by a major project. This would replace multiple overlapping and repetitive federal processes and help reduce, essentially, consultation fatigue. Meaningful consultation matters, but it need not be repetitive. It should not require indigenous partners to repeat the same work for different parts of the same government. Better coordination would ensure the Crown upholds its obligations and would provide indigenous partners a process that is clear, coherent and more respectful of their time. Furthermore, to ensure clearer, more streamlined project decisions, the government is also proposing legislative changes to move toward a single comprehensive federal decision for major project permits and for approvals, which would result in one federal decision document that would be issued by the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature. This document would include all federal decisions required for a project to move forward if it is undergoing a comprehensive impact assessment, while the federal review coordinator would ensure that all relevant federal experts across the government would provide timely advice and any key recommendations needed for that decision. For too long, proponents have had to move from department to department, process to process and decision to decision, creating unnecessary delays and a lot of uncertainty. The cost has been that this country has not remained competitive. This bill is practical and would make practical changes for that. It would move certain decisions, not all, from cabinet to the responsible minister. Conditions imposed on proponents would need to be technically and economically feasible. Some early construction activities could actually begin before final impact decisions, but only when the necessary permits have been approved. These are common-sense improvements that would help the federal government make the sound decisions we need to make. When companies choose Canada, workers benefit. When responsible projects move forward, communities benefit. When we build the infrastructure, energy systems and nation-building projects the world needs, our whole country benefits. We have worked very hard with every province that supports our goal of one project, one review. That matters. This is a team effort. Provinces, territories, indigenous rights holders, municipalities, workers, industries and communities all have to play a role, and the changes proposed in Bill C-39 would give us a stronger, more efficient system. As the Prime Minister said, Canada has what the world wants. It is now up to us to take action, to build our country faster and to create the jobs and opportunities here that will strengthen our economic sovereignty and our country. We are turning Canada and our potential into prosperity. It is common sense. There would be no compromise on the environment. There would be no compromise on consultation with indigenous communities. This is about building stronger, building Canadian and building together.”

“I want the member to support our major transportation projects like high-speed rail. This bill makes project reviews take only one year while still protecting the environment, keeping safety rules, and consulting Indigenous groups.”

“Madam Speaker, that was a great question, and I would welcome the hon. member’s support as we build great transportation projects like high-speed rail. If he wants to help expedite those kinds of things, I would be more than delighted to welcome him and his support to move some of the major projects in transportation forward. We will count on his support. I look forward to the foreshadowing of his support for expediting great projects like high-speed rail. Through this particular bill, Bill C-39, it is absolutely important that we are doing one project, one review, one year for major projects while keeping the regulations, the safety of the environment and the consultation with indigenous partners in place.”

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“Our projects have helped Quebec, like the clean energy project at Churchill Falls. Right now, Canada sells oil at a discount because we only sell to the United States. This project lets us sell to new markets. That will bring in money to fund more projects for all Canadians, including people in Quebec.”

“Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. First of all, I want to point out that the projects of this government have supported Quebec, as we saw with Churchill, the largest clean-energy infrastructure project in North America, which benefited Quebec. This is absolutely critical. To the member’s question, and it is a good question, as the member knows, we sell oil now to the United States at a discount because it is the only customer. This project would allow us to expand our markets to have the revenue to support the very projects we want to build and to support all Canadians and, of course, the people of Quebec.”

“Businesses have to deal with too many government departments asking for the same things. I want the minister to explain why we must make this process easier so businesses invest in Canada instead of the United States.”

“Madam Speaker, part of the problem we are facing in the country in these current geopolitical times is the fact that a proponent must go through a process where in one department, a silo, a number of boxes need to be checked, and in another department, another silo, a number of boxes need to be checked. Some of those are duplicates. I am asking the minister to comment on the importance of ensuring that we are competitive as a country so that we can attract business in this country, as opposed to it going to other countries, such as south of the border.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Slow reviews hurt Canada, and this bill makes project approvals take only one year so things can get built.”

“Madam Speaker, we know that delays have made Canada in some ways less competitive. The purpose of this bill is to have one project, one review, one year. This would give certainty to investors, get projects built and make Canada more competitive.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It will speed up approvals for big building projects and set a one-year limit on federal decisions. It also protects the environment, respects Indigenous rights, and hires 100 new safety officers for workers.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to express my support for Bill C‑39, the building Canada strong act. As the member for Alfred-Pellan, I represent a community that is at the heart of a growing region. Laval is a vibrant city of workers, families and businesses that depend on efficient infrastructure to grow. Bill C‑39 is based on a simple reality: The world is changing quickly, so Canada must also be able to act quickly. We need to attract investment, build the infrastructure we need, diversify our trade and strengthen our economy. However, we must do so responsibly, upholding rigorous environmental standards and the rights of indigenous peoples. That is precisely the balance that Bill C‑39 proposes. This bill would establish clearer, simpler and more predictable processes for carrying out projects. Our government is committed to issuing decisions on projects requiring a federal permit within one year. This stability is essential for businesses and investors. It allows them to plan ahead, raise capital and create jobs. However, moving faster does not mean compromising on quality. Bill C‑39 does not ask us to choose between the economy and the environment. We can build faster while maintaining high environmental standards. The bill provides for better coordination of processes and aims to reduce unnecessary overlap, particularly between federal and provincial assessments. This approach is particularly relevant for Laval and my riding, Alfred-Pellan. Laval is at the heart of the greater Montreal area, and its economy depends on efficient transportation networks, both for citizens and for businesses. With over 13,500 businesses and nearly 165,400 people employed there, Laval is a community where infrastructure plays a central role in our economic development. In addition, with Bill C‑39, our government wants to improve the coordination of federal approvals and create a transportation project office that can move priority projects forward. For a city like Laval, that means infrastructure that is more predictable and that allows our businesses to access major transportation networks and markets more efficiently. This is not just about the economy. It is also about jobs. Workers are at the heart of this legislation. Bill C-39 seeks to modernize the Canada Labour Code, encourage early bargaining and strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms. The bill also provides for the hiring of 100 new health and safety officers, which would significantly increase inspection capacity. In other words, we are not just building infrastructure. We are also building an economy that must provide good jobs and protect workers. Bill C-39 provides for several safeguards. It upholds Canada’s strict environmental standards and indigenous rights. It also protects the right to strike, while encouraging the parties to resolve disputes more quickly through mediation and bargaining. We want Canada to invest in its future, while doing things right. We want a Canada where businesses can invest with confidence, where workers are protected and where communities benefit from better transit systems. Most importantly, we want a Canada that can move from planning to action. For Laval, Quebec and all of Canada, this legislation represents an important step toward building a stronger and more resilient economy. It is time to build.”

“This bill helps build a stronger economy by moving big projects forward. I want the member to share his thoughts on the government's overall plan to help Canada grow.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my friend could provide his thoughts in regard to the overall approach that the government has taken since the last federal election. When we think about Bill C-39, it is all about advancing what we have been talking about for the last year and a half since Canadians elected a new Prime Minister, and that was to build a stronger and a healthier economy here in Canada, an economy that works for all Canadians. In order to do that, we need a substantial piece of legislation like Bill C-39. It is to enable projects to actually go ahead. We can look at the 24-plus projects that have been handed over to the Major Projects Office. We can think of the half a trillion dollars of investment at a summit that was hosted by the Prime Minister just last month. Can the member provide his thoughts on the bigger picture—”