Carney government to introduce major economic bill as Parliament returns Monday

Carney government to introduce major economic bill as Parliament returns Monday BILL CURRY DEPUTY OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF MARIE WOOLF OTTAWA PUBLISHED 37 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Three federal ministers are scheduled to speak at a news conference Monday afternoon. PATRICK DOYLE/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The federal government plans to kick off Monday’s return of parliamentary sittings with the introduction of major legislation aimed at accelerating project approvals and updating Canada’s labour laws. Three federal ministers are scheduled to speak at a news conference Monday afternoon: Government House Leader and Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon; Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy; and Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu. Ottawa said in a news release Sunday that the ministers will discuss the introduction of legislation “that will build Canada strong and create certainty for a more competitive, resilient, and independent Canadian economy.” Carney promises sweeping economic legislation, fast pace this fall during caucus meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney told Liberal MPs in a public speech Friday that the government plans to introduce a bill called the Building Canada Strong Act that would ensure that federal projects face a single review and a decision within one year. “This is a crucial session of the House of Commons,” he said. “We are going to introduce some of the most consequential legislation – not just of this government, but in decades.” The government held consultations on the proposals earlier this year and recently released four reports summarizing feedback it has received related to proposed changes. Mr. Carney said the government has adjusted its planned legislation based on that feedback. Its own summaries of the responses indicate that the government received some pushback, including from Indigenous leaders and labour unions. The Canadian Labour Congress has already expressed concern with some of the proposals, which they say would limit bargaining power and encourage federal intervention to end strikes and lockouts. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre released an open letter Sunday to the Prime Minister, outlining the Official Opposition’s priorities for Parliament’s…