US Edition
Ottawa tabling bill to skirt impact assessment law for ‘national interest’ projects
- On May 23, 2025, Ottawa prepared legislation to expedite approval for major projects deemed in the national interest through a streamlined process replacing the Impact Assessment Act reviews.
- This initiative follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election promise to boost nation-building projects and reduce dependence on the increasingly unreliable U.S. economy.
- The plan sets criteria assessing projects on prosperity, economic and defense security, Indigenous and provincial interests, and clean growth potential to guide streamlined federal approval by a designated minister.
- Carney highlighted the importance of advancing large-scale projects that unite the country and boost economic diversification, proposing to shorten project review periods from five years to two while maintaining commitments to environmental protections and Indigenous rights.
- The legislation intends to build investor confidence and accelerate construction but may face criticism for effectively circumventing existing environmental review laws and requiring broader reforms for full impact.
34 Articles
34 Articles
A document detailing the outline of a bill that Prime Minister Mark Carney would introduce to the premiers of the provinces concerns a group of lawyers. Counsel for the Centre québécois du droit de l'environnement (CQDE) expressed concern that legislation to accelerate the implementation of projects of national interest would be at the expense of environmental protection and provincial jurisdiction.
TVA Nouvelles
Le Journal de QuebecPierre Poilievre shows that Mark Carney's plan is opening up on the acceleration of infrastructure projects in the name of "national interest".
Ottawa Tabling Bill to Skirt Impact Assessment Law for ‘National Interest’ Projects
The federal government is developing a “national interest” bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act. A briefing document obtained by The Canadian Press indicates the legislation would lay out the criteria to decide if a project is in the national interest. Once that’s decided, a single federal minister would be named to oversee a review …
Prince George Citizen
Ottawa tabling bill to skirt impact assessment law for 'national interest' projects
OTTAWA — The federal government is developing a "national interest" bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act.
Ottawa planning 'up-front' approval for projects deemed in the national interest
The Liberal government will introduce legislation to assist in identifying projects in the national interest and provide "up-front regulatory approvals" to major projects, according to a federal document obtained by CBC News.
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