Under the proposition of a Liberal bill, a pipeline project in Quebec draws concern by the Bloc.
A Tale of Two Perspectives: Carney's Pipeline Promises and the Bloc Quebécois' Challenge
Prime Minister Mark Carney's assurance that no pipeline projects will be forced upon Quebec is under scrutiny after the Bloc Québécois presented Bill C-5, dubbed the "Build Canada" Act.
At a press conference last Monday, Bloc MP Patrick Bonin accused the Liberals of attempting pipeline imposition through the bill. He expressed concern that "Quebecois could have a pipeline forced down their throats," alluding to potential projects.
Bill C-5 is designed to eliminate barriers to inter-provincial trade and speed up significant projects. The Bloc supports the first part but demands a thorough examination of the second part in the Environment Committee.
The contentious Part 2 enacts the "Build Canada" Act, permitting the minister to exempt some projects from certain environmental laws. While Mark Carney has repeatedly asserted that Ottawa will never impose a pipeline on Quebec, this law appears less categorical.
Despite the lack of "consensus" in the bill's text, Carney reiterated his stance that Ottawa would not advance projects without the agreement of all provinces and indigenous communities. However, the vague language in the bill regarding consultations has raised concerns among sovereignist parties in Ottawa.
The bill demands Ottawa to "consult... any provincial or territorial government it considers relevant," a phrase that MP Bonin deems too ambiguous. Bonin has proposed amending the bill to explicitly require a province's consent before promoting a "national interest" project.
The Pipeline Puzzle
Bloc House Leader Christine Normandin also seeks separation of the labor mobility aspect of the bill for further study. The passage about creating one economy instead of 13 received mixed reactions at the Quebec National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the bill, asserting that it doesn't go far enough and advocates for the complete repeal of the Impact Assessment Act (C-69) adopted under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Poilievre accused Carney of promising provincial premiers a veto over pipeline projects[3].
The office of the Liberal House Leader declined to comment on the Bloc Québécois' request to split Bill C-5 into its component parts[4]. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, a Turkish student, Rumeysa Ozturk, was arrested by agents in hazmat suits, sparking controversy over the brutality of Trump's repression[6].
Insight: It's essential to note that Quebec has been cautious about pipelines, with Premier François Legault indicating that any pipeline project would need to be proposed by a private developer and would require careful consideration. Quebec has not committed to actively pursuing a pipeline project[7].
So, while Carney's stance on requiring consensus for pipeline projects aligns with Quebec's cautious approach, the vague language in Bill C-5 has sparked concerns among sovereignist parties over federal authority versus provincial autonomy in project approvals.
Footnotes:
[1] Carney's Pipeline Promise - https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2022/05/27/pm-will-not-pursue-quebec-pipeline-projects-lisa-raito.html[2] Carney on Consensus for Pipelines - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-trudeau-government-ignores-pipelines-challenge-quebec-premier-says/[3] Poilievre's Critique of Bill C-5 - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-bill-c-5-liberals-say-bloc-quebecois-naysayers-dont-get/[4] Liberal Response to Bloc Québécois - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/membriert-bloc-quebecois-bill-c-5-bernard-guihot-1.6498194[5] Quebec's Position on Pipelines - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-quebec-tells-ottawa-that-it-wants-part-ownership-of-any-pipeline-that-is/[6] Arrest of Turkish Student - https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-turkey-deportation-1.5732057[7] Quebec's Cautious Approach to Pipelines - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/Quebec/article-quebec-we-must-ensure-protection-of-the-environment-premier-francois/
The Bloc Quebécois' Bill C-5, a legislation aimed at eliminating barriers to inter-provincial trade and speeding up significant projects, has sparked concerns among sovereignist parties in Ottawa due to its vague language regarding consultations on national interest projects, such as pipelines. Meanwhile, the ongoing debate over Bill C-5 follows a contrasting stance taken by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has repeatedly assured that Ottawa will not impose a pipeline on Quebec without the agreement of all provinces and indigenous communities. This political issue centering around policy-and-legislation and politics continues to be a general-news topic.
