The Senate has passed the Liberal government’s contentious Bill C-5, legislation designed to fast-track major economic projects. However, the bill’s passage comes with strong warnings from Indigenous leaders about potential widespread protests and legal challenges if their rights and title aren’t respected.
The new legislation grants Ottawa the authority to expedite projects deemed beneficial to the national economy, even allowing them to bypass certain environmental protections and other existing laws. An earlier version of the bill had proposed sidestepping the Indian Act, but that provision was removed before the bill’s final approval.
Both Indigenous and environmental groups have voiced significant anger over the bill, criticizing the government for what they see as a rushed attempt to gain sweeping powers to accelerate development. Numerous Indigenous leaders had urged Members of Parliament and Senators to slow the bill’s progress, advocating for more time for Indigenous communities to propose amendments and conduct thorough legal reviews.
Despite these calls, efforts by some Senators to strengthen protections for Indigenous Peoples within the legislation were unsuccessful. Senator Paul Prosper, who is Mi’kmaq, introduced an amendment that would have required the explicit free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities before projects could be approved. This amendment, however, failed to pass.
“We are appointed so that we are outside of the pressures of the electoral cycle and able to stand on principle against poorly drafted legislation,” Senator Prosper stated during his speech in the Senate, expressing his discomfort with arguments against amendments based on public opinion.
The bill was introduced in the Senate just yesterday, after being fast-tracked through the House of Commons.