Thank you, Pascal.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to focus on part 1 of the bill. It is entitled “Build Canada Now”. As a key component of Bill C-39, it forms part of what could be Canada's most consequential economic legislation in decades. Its implications will shape the country's economic trajectory for generations to come, making it essential that we get it right.
Our message is straightforward. Part 1, as proposed, advances the government's objective of accelerating major project infrastructure and resource projects by shortening review timelines, consolidating federal approvals and enabling concurrent permitting. This will help attract investment and build the infrastructure Canada needs. We urge the committee to pass the bill without amendments that would weaken its purpose.
Some will argue that moving faster means cutting corners.
That is not true. We can move projects forward more quickly, while respecting indigenous rights and protecting the environment. Part 1 does not lower the standards. It simply eliminates unnecessary overlap and delays, to ensure that the standards are applied within a clearer and more predictable approval framework.
With this framework in place, certainty of implementation is now as important as the legislation itself. Three things will determine whether these changes deliver results.
The one-year timeline must produce real end-to-end savings rather than shifting delays to the preapplication stage.
Responsibilities must be clearly defined, particularly between the CER and the new Crown consultation hub, with extensions remaining exceptional and publicly reported.
Also, federal timelines must be matched by provincial and territorial alignment and sufficient regulatory capacity to meet them.
In an increasingly turbulent world, Parliament must focus on what it can control: the rules and the timelines that determine whether critical projects get built. Get it right, and Canada strengthens its economic independence. Get it wrong, and we risk falling further behind and surrendering greater control over our future to global powers.
Our ask is simple: Pass part 1 of this bill without amendments that would weaken its purpose. Now, we need to turn attention into projects, investment and growth, and to deliver.
Thank you. We look forward to your questions.