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The federal government’s major projects legislation was amended by opposition parties on Wednesday to withdraw the power the bill gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act, following weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders. But Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Nepinak Woodhouse said Thursday the “limited changes” made to the bill don’t go far enough. She still wants the government to give members of Parliament more time to study the legislation.The Liberal government’s controversial legislation, which would allow cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, was introduced on June 6, and sailed through the committee study in about eight hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.Amendments to the bill made in committee include...

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday announced a series of measures to protect the Canadian steel and aluminum industries from the impacts of recently doubled U.S. tariffs, including steep anti-dumping quotas for foreign products that may be diverted to Canada. Carney said the federal government will also introduce new rules on June 30 to ensure Canadian steel and aluminum and tariff-free products from “reliable trading partners” are prioritized for federal procurement.As well, the government will ensure the auto industry and other supply chains are given the chance to prioritize domestic materials through remission processes that will be reviewed in the coming days.“The steel and aluminum workers are on the front lines of this trade crisis,” Carney told reporters.“In short, the governme...

The federal government will help Canadians stuck in Iran, Israel and the West Bank leave the region on nearby commercial flights as the deadly conflict escalates. Those Canadians will have to reach a neighbouring country first, however, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a statement Thursday.Airspace over Iran and Israel has been closed since the two countries began trading strikes nearly a week ago. The situation has only devolved further since then, with U.S. President Donald Trump currently weighing whether to authorize U.S. military force against Iran.Anand said the government is “planning commercial options for Canadians in Israel, the West Bank, and Iran to leave the region via certain neighbouring countries,” adding to existing assistance for Canadians wishing to leave Gaza.“Given...

Running roughshod over the environment. Spawning the next Idle No More movement. Picking economic winners and losers. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Building Canada Act is anything if not a magnet for criticism.The Liberal government’s controversial legislation that would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday.A House of Commons panel sat from Wednesday afternoon to after midnight reviewing Bill C-5 in a hurried study, as the Liberal government seeks to pass it through the chamber by week’s end.Indigenous and environmental groups, along with opposition MPs and senators, raised concerns that the bill is being rushed through parliament and will grant cabinet sweeping powers ...