Commentary
The flagship bill of the Carney government’s fall legislative agenda is the Building Canada Strong Act (C-39). The bill is an omnibus brute coming in at 243 pages. It’s something of an irony that a bill pitched to reduce bureaucracy comes in such a large and convoluted package. The prime minister has an ambitious agenda to fast-track approvals on projects to spur economic growth; thus, C-39 must try to cover many variables. The bill was tabled on Sept. 21 and has already passed first reading.
The bill won’t be passed by the time Albertans go to the polls on Oct. 19 to vote on whether or not to start the process to pursue provincial independence. But the debate surrounding the bill could impact the choice of Alberta voters. Lengthy approval processes for Alberta energy infrastructure projects that often proved to be fruitless are a strong irritant and helped foster Western alienation in Canada. If Bill C-39 appears to be able to address the issue, it could cool the political temperature in Alberta. If the bill gets stalled or the government backs down on the proposed approval timelines as the debate continues, it could inflame Albertans further….