Latest news with #DominicLeBlanc
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Minister Leblanc ‘optimistic' about making progress with U.S. negotiations
Watch Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc says he is having ongoing conversations with U.S. officials to negotiate a deal.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ministers defend Carney's ‘nation-building' bill and efforts for Parliament to expedite it, despite objections
President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy Dominic LeBlanc responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, June 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's minister of intergovernmental affairs is defending the 'nation-building' trade barrier and major projects bill, and the Liberals' efforts to expedite its passage by Canada Day, amid objections. 'We hope this legislation can be adopted expeditiously,' Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy Minister Dominic LeBlanc told senators Tuesday. LeBlanc — sponsor of Bill C-5, which the Liberals have coined the 'One Canadian Economy' bill — was testifying as part of a Senate-wide pre-study of the legislation. Pre-studies are a way for senators to begin considering legislation before the bill is formally passed in the House, and are often used when there's an intention to pass policy quickly. This comes as MPs agreed by a vote of 305 to 30 on Monday to pass a government motion to expedite the legislation's passage, putting Bill C-5 on a course towards clearing the House of Commons by the end of the week. The Conservatives voted in favour while the Liberals' typical dance partners from the last minority Parliament — the Bloc Quebecois, New Democrats and Greens — voted against. As a result of the motion passing, the House Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee will sit for a few hours on Tuesday and then potentially burn the midnight oil on Wednesday to complete the study and clause-by-clause of the bill. Then, MPs will have a limited window for debate at report stage and third reading, with the motion stating the House cannot adjourn on Friday until Bill C-5 passes into the Senate. 'I think the prime minister and our government made a compelling case to Canadians that this particular piece of legislation was what the moment required,' LeBlanc told senators, citing the Liberals' campaign commitment. During the 2025 federal election, as part of his pitch to Canadians as the best placed leader to take on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, Carney repeatedly pledged to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day, while his platform promised to table the necessary legislation by July 1. 'We believe that this legislation is urgent,' LeBlanc said, responding to a question from Sen. Pamela Wallin on why the government feels it's necessary to apply such 'time pressures' on both chambers. What is contentious about Bill C-5? Bill C-5, formally titled 'An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act' spans fewer than 20 pages. It proposes to recognize provincial regulations with the aim of making it easier to improve the mobility of goods and services, as well as labour. It also seeks to speed up the development of major projects deemed to be in the national interest. It's the provisions proposing to grant cabinet new powers, with the intention of centralizing approvals for new natural resource projects that are being heavily criticized as undermining Indigenous rights and environmental protections. There's widespread concern among opponents that if Bill C-5 becomes law, projects could be greenlit without adequate consultation. Sparking further ire is the Liberal push to condense the debate on and study of the legislation. When the bill was unveiled — just two weeks before MPs' scheduled summer break — Carney said: 'if Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed.' 'A lot of broken trust over the years' Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty testified alongside LeBlanc on Tuesday. She was pressed to respond to testimony senators heard the day prior from Indigenous leaders who want to see the process slowed down. They included Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed, who implored senators to 'take additional time to consider this legislation.' 'Considering the serious consequences of hastily passing this legislation through Parliament, a more nuanced, considerate approach would allow Canada to develop clear pathways to advance nation-building projects,' Obed said. Asked to address the concerns about upholding the rights of Indigenous peoples, Alty asserted that the bill will not infringe on existing obligations. She then went on to suggest that projects facing resistance from First Nations would be less likely to be approved under the proposed new system. 'Projects that don't have Indigenous support aren't going to urgently advance. We're looking for projects that can get going,' she said on Tuesday. 'I can appreciate where people are coming [from] because to say, 'Trust us, here's the legislation,' there's been a lot of broken trust over the years,' Alty said. 'And from that… we know that failing to uphold our legal responsibilities stop projects, delay projects, and we're looking to advance projects.' As this testimony was happening in the Senate, the Chiefs of Ontario joined NDP MPs Leah Gazan and Lori Idlout on Parliament Hill, to raise further concerns about the tight timelines allowed to scrutinize the implications of the bill. Though, given the New Democrats no longer have official party status in the House of Commons, their ability to intervene and advance amendments in the days ahead will be limited. 'What is happening… is scandalous' During House debate before Monday's vote, New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois MPs made their opposition to the fast-tracking of Bill C-5 clear, as did Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who just months ago held a cabinet position. 'Under the guise of responding to the threat posed by Trump, we are sacrificing other important values. We are not thinking about unintended consequences, and we are actively undermining our parliamentary democracy,' Erskine-Smith said. 'The federal government is proposing to shut down democratic debate, curtail committee scrutiny and jam the bill through,' he said. 'It would all actually make [former Conservative prime minister Stephen] Harper blush.' NDP MP Heather McPherson said she agrees with the objectives of the bill, but slammed Carney for proposing a 'power grab.' 'I support building infrastructure that will serve generations to come. However, we cannot and we must not trade away workers' protections, transparency, accountability, environmental protections and Indigenous rights in the name of expediency,' McPherson said. May said that her party supports 'bringing down interprovincial barriers and building a one-Canada economy,' but not 'with a bulldozer pushing it through Parliament,' comparing what Carney is doing to the legislative tactics the Liberals panned when Harper enacted them. Bloc MPs accused the Official Opposition of now being part of a Liberal-Conservative coalition. 'What is happening right now is scandalous,' said Bloc Quebecois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay. 'We will not have the opportunity to examine this bill properly, because this coalition is writing a blank cheque and completely disregarding the need to seriously study such a significant, profound and radical bill,' he said. 'Have to set aside partisan divisions' Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland also spoke to senators about the bill on Monday. During her testimony, Freeland said that in the government's view, Canada is in 'a moment where we have to set aside partisan divisions.' During an exchange with her, Senate Opposition Leader Sen. Leo Housakos confirmed that his caucus in the upper chamber wants to see the bill become law, an indication that before adjourning for the summer next week, Conservative senators will do what they can to pass Bill C-5. 'Obviously, the Conservative opposition in the House supports this bill, as does the opposition in this chamber,' he said. 'I truly see this, not as a partisan effort, but as a nation-building effort, and I'm delighted that we're able to work on it together,' Freeland said in response. The House of Commons is scheduled to adjourn for the summer this Friday, and the Senate is slated to rise by next Friday, June 27. Parliamentary business in both chambers would then be paused until September, barring an emergency recall.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'Deliberate exclusion': Treaty 6 slams Ottawa's major projects bill
A group of western first nations is calling on federal lawmakers to vote against a bill before parliament that they call 'a direct threat to treaty rights and our democratic process.' Article content Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, proposes granting the federal government sweeping powers over a five-year period to expedite approvals of infrastructure mega-projects deemed to be in the national interest by cabinet. Article content Article content Article content The bill appears likely to become law after it passed second reading on Monday with the support of Opposition Conservatives by a 304 to 29 margin. MPs representing the Green Party, New Democratic Party, and Bloc Quebecois voted against the bill. Article content Article content On Tuesday, the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations issued a news release speaking out against the bill, claiming their members weren't properly consulted and that the legislation gives Ottawa too much power without consideration of treaty rights. Article content 'If this bill passes, it will not create certainty for development. It will create conflict.' Article content Article content He noted the irony of Ottawa moving to assert itself against a larger threat by itself threatening a treaty that dates back to 1876, saying the bill would give cabinet the power to 'bulldoze our rights.' Article content 'Canada claims it is responding to pressure from the United States — the so-called 'bully.' But in doing so, Canada is using that as an excuse to bully our nations. This is unacceptable to treaty peoples.' Article content The bill could be passed as soon as this week, with Prime Minister Mark Carney having set a goal of having that happen by Canada Day. Article content In announcing Bill C-5 earlier this month, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the legislation will remove federal trade barriers to internal trade and labour mobility while also advancing 'nation-building projects crucial for driving Canadian productivity growth, energy security, and economic competitiveness.'
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Trump leaves G7 summit early, citing Middle East, as U.S. and Canada aim for deal within 30 days
Two of Canada's top envoys to the U.S. just told reporters the two sides have agreed to accelerate talks about reaching a trade and security deal. 'Those were the instructions that we got from our side. And obviously the Americans share that view,' Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the group gathered at the resort in Kananaskis. He was flanked by Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. They said they met with U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and officials after the bilateral meeting and have plans to meet again later this week. Neither got even close to answering questions about what the holdups are.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carney, Trump to sit down Monday ahead of G7 start as work continues on tariff deal
In his first big test at the G7, Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday morning, according to an official in his office. The Prime Minister's Office said the two leaders will sit down one-on-one before the main talks with the other leaders officially get underway. Carney has been keen to ink a deal with Trump on trade and security, and for the U.S. president to drop his punishing tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and the auto industry. Earlier this week CBC/Radio-Canada reported Canada and the U.S. appear to be making progress toward some sort of trade agreement. Sources with direct knowledge of the situation said a working document outlining details of a potential deal has been sent back and forth between Ottawa and Washington. The document is considered a step toward the overall goal of reaching a deal, but sources cautioned work needs to be done before there's an agreement. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canadian officials will continue to "grind away" on getting a deal past the finish line, adding there's a level of uncertainty in dealing with the U.S. administration. "So if on Sunday, it looks like there's no agreement, Monday night, [we] can suddenly be in agreement. If we think we made progress two weeks ago, well, two weeks later, we haven't gotten the agreement we want," he told Rosemary Barton Live in an interview that aired Sunday. The Canada side is working on the economic-defence deal "with a real sense of urgency and frustration that obviously is fuelled by what business and union and workers are telling us," he added. Trump was asked as he left the White House Sunday whether he expected to announce any trade deals during the summit "I think we'll have a few new trade deals, yeah," he said. Carney is far from the only world leader seeking deals with Trump during his trip to Kananaskis, Alta., as his administration pushes an aggressive trade position that's shaking up global markets. The leaders of some of the most powerful democracies have begun landing in Alberta on Sunday ahead of the high-stakes gathering set against the scenery of the Canadian Rockies, with the summit spread over the picturesque communities of Kananaskis, Banff and Calgary. This year's gathering will largely be judged on whether a group built on consensus can actually get along. The G7 — which includes the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union — has met annually for the past 50 years to form a co-ordinated voice on major issues, including trade and economics, security and climate change. But the group has become more fractured over the years. The last time Trump attended a G7 in Canada back in 2018, he sent the gathering into disarray and withheld U.S. support from the joint communiqué typically issued at the end of the summit. This year, Canadian organizers are taking a different route and are forgoing the traditional list of priorities and accomplishments that all countries agree to sign. Instead, Canada is looking to secure leaders' approval on a series of short, joint statements focused on concrete actions and outcomes in key areas, a senior government official said ahead of the summit. WATCH | What are Canada's objectives for the G7 summit? This year, Carney has set a list of priorities reflective of the challenging state of the world. That's been further crystallized by Israel's deadly surprise attack Friday on Iranian nuclear sites. The two countries have traded strikes in the three days since, increasing calls for the G7 countries to de-escalate the situation and intervene on Iran's nuclear capabilities. Speaking from Ottawa before travelling west, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Israel-Iran conflict the "centrepiece" of the summit. "This provides the opportunity to talk to our co-leaders about the fast-moving situation, and to make our strong case together that there must be de-escalation of this conflict in the interests of the region, and of course the world," he said other summit priorities, according to the Prime Minister's Office, include energy security — with a focus on critical minerals and artificial intelligence — and "securing the partnerships of the future." With parts of Western Canada still grappling with a devastating fire season, Carney has also put wildfires on the agenda. In addition to the G7 members, leaders from India, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Ukraine, Mexico and Australia have been invited for at least part of the proceedings, along with the secretaries general of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, and the head of the World Bank.
