Ottawa Parliament debates sweeping Bill C-39 and new defence procurement legislation
Members returned to Ottawa to debate Bill C-39 and a defence procurement act, facing criticism from First Nations, labour unions and the opposition.
Parliamentarians reconvened in Ottawa to advance the government's 243-page Bill C-39, aiming to impose a one-year timeline for federal project decisions, designate “national interest” zones for pre-approved work and broaden the jobs minister’s authority to intervene in labour disputes. Assembly of First Nations national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak cautioned that the legislation could undermine mandatory consultation with Indigenous peoples.
Labour organisations, including the Canadian Labour Congress and its president Bea Bruske, argue the provisions risk violating Canada’s international labour obligations, with the International Trade Union Confederation urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to reconsider. CUPE has pledged to defy the bill if passed without amendment, while business groups claim it falls short of preventing work stoppages. Procurement Minister Joel Lightbound introduced a defence-procurement act, and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre moved a motion calling for one-million barrels of diesel daily, an extended fuel-tax exemption to 2027, and the creation of a strategic oil reserve.
Why it matters
The legislation could reshape federal project timelines, labour-rights protections and defence procurement across Canada.
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