C-39Building Canada Strong Act
An Act respecting certain measures to strengthen the economy
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on September 21, 2026
- Status
- In committee in the House of Commons since October 8, 2026
- Sponsor
- Steven MacKinnonLiberal
- Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
What it does
Changes project reviews, transport and port rules, digital trade, and federal labour laws to speed several approval and enforcement processes.
What it does
- Changes the Impact Assessment Act so some designated projects are assessed by the Nuclear Safety Commission, federal authorizations can be granted with the decision statement, and some decisions must be issued within one year.
- Expands the Building Canada Act to cover certain projects in regions of national interest, and lets the Governor in Council add a region to a new schedule if it is in the national interest.
- Changes the Canadian Energy Regulator Act so decisions on pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects are due within one year, with coordinated Indigenous consultations and federal authorizations.
- Updates environmental and resource laws, including the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, Species at Risk Act and Fisheries Act, to add new compliance powers, feasibility tests, habitat credit rules and fee options.
- Creates new supply chain and trade measures, including a transportation project office, trade corridor oversight, port and marine rule changes, emergency shipping exceptions, and rules for electronic trade documents.
- Changes federal labour and wage rules, including collective bargaining timelines, first agreement rules, special mediators, stronger settlement enforcement, a medical leave carve-out, and Wage Earner Protection Program decisions.
Who it affects
- Project proponents
- Indigenous groups
- Transportation companies
- Port authorities
- Railways
- Employers under federal labour law
- Workers covered by the Canada Labour Code
- Importers and exporters
Background
The bill amends several existing federal laws, including the Impact Assessment Act, Canada Transportation Act, Canada Labour Code and others.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Current stage. Now here
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-39, An Act respecting certain measures to strengthen the economy
Vote 178,
Passed
296 yeato26 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 178 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 167 0 6 Conservative Yea 129 0 8 Bloc Nay 0 20 1 NDP Nay 0 5 0 Green Nay 0 1 0 Total 296 26
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalSteven MacKinnon· September 23, 2026
“This bill is one of the most important economic pieces of legislation in a generation. It is the result of a number of departments coming together, and it explains exactly how we are going to turn those advantages into opportunities.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativePierre Poilievre· September 23, 2026
“Even if the bill before the House were to pass today, we would still have on the books requirements that anybody who applies for a project include analysis on “the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors”, as if that has anything to do with mines, pipelines or marine ports.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocAndréanne Larouche· September 23, 2026
“I rise today to speak to Bill C-39, a bill that we feel is a drastic step backwards when it comes to the environment, workers' rights and democracy. I will set the stage.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPLeah Gazan· October 5, 2026
“It is essential, as I begin this debate, to remember that Bill C-39 seeks to undermine the rights of workers even further, like those who have been on strike for 105 days. It is a dangerous trend that the Liberal government has been participating in, violating the charter-protected right to strike at a time when workers need fair deals more than ever.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caGreenElizabeth May· October 7, 2026
“I will do my best, but this omnibus bill, Bill C-39, represents an extremely large threat to this country and to our economy, because it would allow billions of dollars of tax money to be thrown at projects that would not have to clear even the most basic cost-benefit analysis before being declared projects of national interest.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: At consideration in committee in the House of Commons. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.