Following in the footsteps of BC and Ontario, the federal government is poised to ram through Bill C-5, an irresponsible and anti-democratic law that will fast-track risky projects and do an end-run around science, Indigenous rights and public participation.
Prime Minister Carney has said he wants to pass the Bill by Canada Day by sidestepping Parliamentary due process, and we have just had word that the Senate of Canada plans to help him.
Take action: Say no to Bill C-5 today!
Bill C-5 would allow Cabinet to approve projects by unilaterally declaring them to be in the “national interest” before studying any of their possible impacts. It would mean government making decisions that could affect communities for generations without the communities’ say and without any evidence or analysis showing the projects are safe.
By pre-approving projects, the Bill circumvents the longstanding processes that projects must usually go through to ensure their safety and makes a mockery of the duty to consult Indigenous peoples and the obligation to secure their free, prior and informed consent.
Yes, we need big, bold investments in projects that benefit Canadians, like renewable energy. But we know from experience that when communities are shut out of decisions that affect them, bad things happen. Disruptive protests, lengthy lawsuits, and environmental disasters could be the unintended – but foreseeable – consequences of this Bill.
Help us stop this power grab. Send a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc (who is responsible for the Bill) and the Senate, asking them to scrap Bill C-5 and send it back to the drawing board. Canadians deserve – and need – better.
Take action