House Speaker splits major projects bill for two separate votes, expected Friday

By Canadian Press on June 20, 2025.

OTTAWA — Members of Parliament will hold two separate votes on the government’s major projects bill Friday, after the House Speaker ruled the legislation has two distinct parts.

Bill C-5, also known as the One Canadian Economy Act, contains measures to tackle internal trade barriers and gives the government sweeping new powers to approve major projects.

A closure motion the government passed to limit debate says the House won’t adjourn Friday until debate wraps up on C-5 and votes are held.

Friday is the final day of the House sitting until September. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to pass a law to break down interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day.

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday called the legislation the “core” of Canada’s domestic economic response to U.S. tariffs.

The Bloc Québécois called for the bill to be split to allow MPs more time to study the measures that deal with major projects, but the government refused to do that. The interprovincial trade portion of the bill has broad support from all parties.

On Friday, New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan asked House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia to hold separate votes on third reading.

The House Speaker has the power to divide legislation if the government is seeking to enact or amend more than one law and there is no common element connecting the provisions.

In his ruling, Scarpaleggia told the House the bill has two distinct parts without a clear common element.

“While they are ultimately designed to strengthen the Canadian economy, they deal with different issues that could very well stand independently from one another. Moreover, there is no direct relationship or cross-reference between the two parts of the bill,” he said.

The ruling means that two votes will happen in the House of Commons on third reading. It’s expected that both votes will succeed.

The Liberals are pushing the legislation through the House of Commons with the support of the Conservatives and look to have it passed by the end of the day.

Then it will be sent to the Senate, which is set to wrap up its examination of the bill by June 27.

The legislation was amended Thursday to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act after weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders and following a marathon committee hearing on Wednesday.

— With files from Kyle Duggan and Alessia Passafiume

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press