One Canadian Economy Act
Gives Cabinet unchecked power to fast-track pipelines and megaprojects by bypassing environmental review, Indigenous consultation, and public input. Now law.
"Who Gives a F*** About the Environment Anyway Bill"
What This Means for You
This is already law. A Cabinet minister can now declare any infrastructure project a "Project of National Interest" and bypass the environmental assessments, Indigenous consultations, and public hearings that would otherwise apply. Projects near your community could be approved without your input.
Introduced
June 6, 2025
Sponsor
Mark Carney, Prime Minister
Parliament
45th Parliament, 1st Session, Statutes of Canada 2025, c. 2
Key Vote
House passed June 20, 2025. Senate passed June 26, 2025.
Official Title
An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act
What It Does
Bill C-5 contains two parts. Part 1 eliminates interprovincial trade barriers and improves labour mobility. Part 2, the Building Canada Act, is the controversial one: it grants Cabinet sweeping power to designate major infrastructure projects as "Projects of National Interest," triggering a fast-tracked approval process that sidesteps normal environmental review under the Impact Assessment Act. The bill passed in 20 days. The Assembly of First Nations announced a coordinated legal response on the same day the bill was tabled. Ecojustice called it "a dangerous precedent." The IAA it undermines was already partially struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023.
Primary Concerns
- Cabinet can designate projects as national interest before any environmental assessment, meaning approval comes before scrutiny
- No requirement to consider adverse environmental effects when determining national interest status
- Bypasses free, prior, and informed consent from First Nations, violating UNDRIP obligations Canada claimed to uphold
- Passed in 20 days with minimal committee study or public participation
- Applies to pipelines, LNG terminals, highways, and energy corridors with no sector carve-outs
- Framed as a response to US tariffs, but the powers are permanent and apply to any future government
- The Impact Assessment Act it guts was already weakened by a 2023 Supreme Court ruling; this removes what remained
- Ecojustice: "Sets a dangerous precedent for sidelining environmental protection in the name of economic expediency"
Who's Opposing It
The Assembly of First Nations announced coordinated opposition on the day the bill was tabled. Ecojustice, Climate Action Network Canada, and environmental and Indigenous rights groups across Canada condemned the bill. The Assembly of First Nations launched a legal challenge.
Spread the Word