Parliamentarians are back in Ottawa where debate is set to continue on the government’s 243-page economic and labour bill, with plans to introduce legislation focused on national defence and security procurement.
The government’s key piece of economic legislation, Bill C-39, proposes measures to create a one-year timeline for federal project decisions, create zones of “national interest” where certain projects are pre-approved and change when the jobs minister can intervene in a labour dispute — a move aimed at reducing the number of work stoppages.
The legislation is expected to be pushed for committee study. Instead of going to a regular standing committee, the House of Commons will create a special committee to study the wide-ranging bill.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, has warned the government against “abusing” its majority powers to pass the bill as it could affect First Nations rights if it limits mandatory consultation.
The bill has also faced pushback from labour groups, including the Canadian Labour Congress, who say the proposed powers threaten the right to strike.
Bea Bruske, Canadian Labour Congress president, says the International Trade Union Confederation has written a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney saying the proposed labour regulations are “highly likely to violate” Canada’s international labour obligations.
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“Canada has a long history of standing up for fundamental labour rights,” Bruske said in a statement. “It should concern all of us when the international labour movement is warning that legislation before our Parliament could put those commitments at risk. This is an opportunity for the government to reconsider these provisions and get this right.”
CUPE, one of Canada’s largest union’s, has pledged to defy Bill C-39 should it pass without amendment. Members of the business sector, meanwhile, have said the bill doesn’t go far enough to stave off job action.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has said the bill will put “guardrails” around ministerial powers to intervene in a strike or lockout and force people back to work.
Procurement Minister Joel Lightbound put a piece of legislation on the notice paper Friday, entitled “an act respecting production, procurement and investment in relation to national defence and national security.”
Lightbound’s portfolio includes the Defence Investment Agency, meant to overhaul defence procurement, that was created a year ago.
The government has been quickly increasing its defence spending with the goal of meeting the NATO target of putting five per cent of GDP into defence spending annually.
On the opposition benches, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has put a notice on motion that his party will call on the government to set a goal of Canada producing one-million barrels of diesel per day amid high fuel prices.
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He said in a video released Sunday this would be done with emergency permits and tax relief for refining, storage and transportation.
The Conservative motion also calls on the government to extend the fuel excise tax exemption until at least July 1, 2027.
Poilievre added the government should create a strategic energy reserve so there are stockpiles in the event of shortages driving up prices.
“We are the only G7 country that has no such reserve, even though we have the most oil right beneath our feet. So we could be joining them to release the 100 million barrels of oil they’re putting on the market right now,” Poilievre said.
The International Energy Agency stipulates that member nations must maintain a 90-day supply of their net fuel imports that can be used in the event of shortages. Canada is exempt from this rule because it exports more fuel than the country consumes.
This comes as last week closed with near record-high diesel prices, with the Canadian average being about $2.60 per litre.
The current fuel excise tax pause, which was extended last month until Jan. 31, 2027, will see the tax gradually climbing back to being fully in place on April 1, 2027.
Parliamentarians will be in Ottawa until Friday, when they return to their ridings for another constituency week to coincide with Thanksgiving.
Suck a dik Woodhouse!!. Its because of you that we have no foreign interest in building here.
Finally actually voting on all the nonsense he has spewed for their bought media
Why are those MPs not working parliament while the country is going to “h-ll in a basket”?
Ben. Are we the same person. The thought came as a surprise to me.
@You’ve been caught Ben. Your comment pleased and amused me to no end so had to respond. Rich is much more intelligent than I and much more direct. But believe what you will, and carry on with your investigations.
Concerned Citizen. You’ve said nothing relevant. All your pissing and moaning about the Liberals hurting Canada amount to nothing more than unsupported claims that can be ignored. Are you really just upset that Harper took the Cons so far to the right by getting rid of the Progressives that they have virtually no hope of ever holding power again?
Rich is Ben
Rich…your just like the Liberals, lots of talk but no action…..we will see what the future of Canada holds. I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The Federal Liberals since Pierre Trudeau have done more harm than good to Canada with everything. Destroying tradition. Making Canada a third world order. The streets are unsafe etc etc….the list is very long. A poor tradition carried on by Justin Trudeau.
Anonymous. Your claim that Carney’s Libs have failed at everything is a gross overstatement that isn’t supported by the facts. Carney has made real progress since taking office that has increased our exports overall while reducing the share taken by the U.S. and increasing the share sold to non-U.S. markets. This is a step forward in diversifying our exports.
Your statements about “derangement” syndrome are lazy. Rather than prove that statements about Poilievre or Smith are wrong, you just declare that the person who made the statement is deranged. Only people in your echo chamber would give that statement the time of day.
And by debate, they mean petulant deflections as to why the Liberals have failed at everything.
Thanks to Marilyn Pierre and Danielle derangement syndrome is still alive and well
@Politicians 1020am. MP’s have business in their constituencies, and the government itself does a lot of work outside of Parliament.
They are just getting back there? Just in time for a 6 wk Thanksgiving break and then a 6 week Christmas break. Man must be nice to be an MP. Thousands of dollars, nice home, very limited work sched, perks galore, expense accounts, private jets, limos, security, posh posh posh. AND WE pay for their food.
All the while your constituents starve, face poverty, lose homes, die in ERs, work until they drop for a g*ddamn pittance of a pension while yours is indexed to inflation and achieved after 5 whole years. Most of us will have worked 50 hard plus years to achieve our measly little pension to die on.
You wonder why folks h*te you.
Let PP keep whining for an election.
Like Danielle Smith whines for referendums she already knows the results of.
Lmao. We listen to foreign trade unions now?
A bill of this nature has to be put in place to insure the reliability of Canada to supply products and delivery to Canada.s new and future trading partners.
Just pass it. We are under threat from the USA.