Our Statement on the Passing of Bill C-5, an Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act 

Today, large-scale energy and infrastructure projects in Canada are routinely delayed by regulatory gridlock, rising costs and political indecision. Bill C-5 has the potential to improve Canada’s ability to deliver major projects.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce applauds the federal government for urgently introducing and passing Bill C-5 in the House of Commons. This legislation rises to meet the moment of the economic crisis that Canada is facing from the United States’ unjust trade war on Canadian goods and resources. In response, we must trade more within Canada, while looking at likeminded countries in Europe and around the world that are eager to buy our goods and resources. We cannot have all our eggs in the United States economic basket any longer. 

Bill C-5 echoes many of the priorities we outlined in our All-In Canada plan — especially the urgent need to get major projects moving again. The Canadian business community firmly believes we can end our project paralysis while working in collaboration with Indigenous rights holders and communities while maintaining world-class environmental standards. Projects where fast-tracking has the broad support of impacted First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities should be the first to be considered. We know respect and partnership for shared prosperity are the path forward. The Canadian Chamber does not believe a major project is viable in the absence of clear community level support and expects Canada to meet its legal obligations to consult and cooperate with Indigenous peoples, per the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act adopted in 2021. 

With growing geopolitical instability and increasingly fragile supply chains, energy security has become a central issue of both economic and national security — and we can’t afford to stall or cede the opportunity to be a global leader in energy, critical minerals and natural resources to less sustainable competitors overseas. Without these projects, Canada risks being left behind, or worse, even more reliant on the United States for our economic and national security. At the B7 Summit in May, the global business community confirmed that Canada has a major role to play in shaping global energy and clean economic growth.  

Bill C-5 is just the first step. The onus is now on the federal government to deliver — working with Canadians, Indigenous rights holders and the private sector. It’s time to build momentum in Canada and show the world we’re serious about growth, energy and getting big things done.

• Matthew Holmes, Executive Vice President and Chief of Public Policy, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce — The Future of Business Success 

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest and most activated business network — representing over 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 business of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country — working to create the conditions for our collective success. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. From working with government on economy-friendly policy to providing services that inform commerce and enable trade, we give each of our members more of what they need to succeed: insight into markets, competitors and trends, influence over the decisions and policies that drive business success, and impact on business and economic performance.   

Media Contact

Shane Mackenzie
Vice President, Media and Stakeholder Communications
613.302.7683
smackenzie@chamber.ca