Major projects bill to be swiftly studied in committee after Conservatives vote to fast-track it

OTTAWA — The minority Liberal government’s major projects bill is headed to a House of Commons committee to be studied on Tuesday and Wednesday, after the Conservatives voted to fast-track the legislation and for it to pass second reading late Monday evening. Around 11:40 p.m. on Monday, C-5 was adopted at second reading in the House of Commons by 304-29 votes. The Liberals and Conservatives voted in favour of the bill, with only the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May voting against. C-5 would give the federal government sweeping powers for five years to quickly approve natural resource and infrastructure projects once they are deemed to be in the national interest, as well as break down internal trade barriers and labour mobility issues. According to the motion that was adopted to fast-track the legislation before Canada Day, the bill is referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities where members will hear from witnesses and amend the legislation. That process is expected to last two days. On Tuesday afternoon, the committee will be hearing from Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, representatives from manufacturers and business groups as well as law professors. The list of witnesses who will be testifying on Wednesday was not yet available, but the meeting is expected to spill well into the evening. Still according to the fast-tracking motion, the committee’s report is set to be presented to the House on Thursday and the vote at third and final reading will likely happen on Friday — the last calendar day before all MPs will be going back to their ridings for the summer. In parallel, the Senate is currently conducting a pre-study of C-5. Senators heard from Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday, will be hearing from Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty on Tuesday and other officials on Wednesday. The Senate would ensure a final vote on C-5 takes place on June 27, at the latest. However, at least one Senator is determined to delay the more contentious portion of the bill. Paul Prosper, a former AFN regional chief for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, said he would be putting forward an amendment to slow down the process with respect to the major projects section of C-5. On Monday, Prosper said he will be doing that “in hopes that more rational minds prevail in terms of consulting with Indigenous groups.” National Post calevesque@postmedia.com Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.