Canada's new government to simplify and accelerate Canada's regulatory process

OTTAWA, ON, May 8, 2026 /CNW/ - In a global landscape that is increasingly uncertain, Canada's new government is focusing on what we can control. We are building big and building fast to create a stronger, more competitive, and more independent Canadian economy.

For too long, nation-building infrastructure – including ports, railways, energy corridors, critical mineral developments, and clean energy – has been bogged down in red tape, leaving enormous investment on the table. The process was too long, too repetitive, and put the onus on the proponent to navigate the system. Last August, our government changed that with the launch of the Major Projects Office (MPO). To date, 21 nation-building initiatives have been referred to the MPO, supporting more than 60,000 jobs, and representing over $126 billion in new investment.

Our government has provided regulatory certainty, and instilled confidence in investors here in Canada and from around the world. Now, we must go further to streamline review and approvals processes, to ensure we build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy for all.

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, and the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, announced the government will engage with Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and the Canadian public on potential changes that would ensure federal reviews and decision-making timelines take no longer than one-year, once all information from the project proponent has been received.

To that end, the government is launching two discussion papers to engage Canadians over a 30-day period on proposed reforms to:

• Get Major Projects Built in Canada
• Strengthen One Canadian Economy through Trade and Transportation

This will strengthen a uniform regulatory system for major projects and improve supply chain efficiency across Canada. Clear, predictable processes give investors and project proponents the certainty they need to build, and drives sustained economic growth for all Canadians.

Indigenous partnership is critical to building a stronger Canadian economy, and engagement will be pivotal to the success of future projects. We are engaging meaningfully with Indigenous groups, consistent with the Government of Canada's commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

These proposals will improve regulatory efficiency, while maintaining robust environmental standards and respecting Indigenous rights, by:

• Ensuring federal reviews and decision-making timelines take no more than one year, once all information from the project proponent has been received;
• Establishing a Crown Consultation Hub to strengthen Crown consultation on project reviews and coordinate one Indigenous consultation process, per community, per project;
• Creating a regulatory system where a single comprehensive federal decision is made on permits and approvals for major projects;
• Assigning responsibility and authority for certain projects to the federal regulatory organization with the most expertise; and
• Creating federal economic zones through regional impact assessments, in consultation with Indigenous Peoples.

The Government is also advancing a number of proposals to diversify Canada's trade and attract new investment:

• National Trade Corridors: Modernize Canada's National Transportation Policy to emphasize the importance of supply chain efficiency through the designation of National Trade Corridors. This will better reflect the reality of how transportation supply chains support trade corridors and identify solutions to increase performance.
• Modernize Port Governance: Modernize Canada's port governance framework to better reflect the realities of modern trade and the role of marine infrastructure in supporting Canada's non-US trade diversification goals, and foster collaboration amongst the port authorities.
• Simplifying Regulatory Reporting: Adopt a "tell-us-once" approach to information sharing between departments and agencies and streamline redundancies and inefficiencies in transportation regulations.

Canada's new government is connecting and transforming the economy.  We are diversifying our industries, accessing new markets, protecting Canadian workers, safeguarding Canada's rigorous environmental standards, and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Today's announcement builds on that progress and furthers our mission to build Canada strong for all.  

Quotes

"To transform our economy and build major projects faster in Canada, investors and project proponents need predictability and efficiency. Our government is engaging directly with Canadians to improve our regulatory system and grow our economy. The proposed regulatory and legislative reforms are part of our ambitious plan to build a stronger Canada - helping companies across the country build their projects faster, attracting investment, boosting our competitiveness, and growing Canada's economy."

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy

"Building Canada strong means building stronger, more resilient supply chains that connect Canadian businesses to the world. These engagements are about working with Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and Canadians to strengthen our trade corridors, modernize our ports, reduce red tape, and move goods more quickly and reliably across the country. A more connected One Canadian Economy will support good-paying jobs, unlock economic growth, lower costs for Canadians, and ensure Canada remains a reliable trading partner in a changing world."

The Honourable Steven MacKinnon
Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Quick Facts:

• The Government of Canada established the Major Projects Office (MPO) to bring business development and project execution experience to accelerate nation-building projects and advance transformative strategies that helps build a stronger, more independent and resilient economy for Canada.
• The 15 projects and six transformative strategies supported by the MPO represent a combined investment of more than $126 billion in our economy and will create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs for Canadians.
• Over five years, the government's capital investments and incentives in support of third parties, totalling about $280 billion, are expected to enable more than $1 trillion in total investment from public, private, and institutional partners.
• Canada is working with provinces to implement a "one project, one review" approach by developing co-operations agreements. These agreements are helping to accelerate major infrastructure, mining, and energy projects by eliminating duplication and streamlining assessment processes, while continuing to protect the environment and Indigenous rights. To date, agreements have been finalized with Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, while an agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador is in development.
• The Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program facilitates access to affordable capital to Indigenous groups. Initially launched with $5 billion in loan guarantee authority focused on the energy and natural resources sectors, the Government of Canada doubled the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to $10 billion and extended its scope to major projects across all sectors of the economy.
• These measures build on new infrastructure programs announced in Budget 2025 to strengthen our trade corridors and Arctic sovereignty by further addressing barriers to investment, modernizing port governance, and enabling enhanced collaboration across transportation trade corridors.

Relevant Links:

• Engagement – Getting Major Projects Built in Canada
• Engagement - Strengthening One Canadian Economy through trade and transportation
• Major Projects Office Projects and Transformative Strategies
• One-project one-review: Agreements related to impact assessments
• Red Tape Reduction

SOURCE President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Gabriel Brunet, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, 819-665-6527, [email protected]; Media Relations, Privy Council Office, 613-957-5420, [email protected]; Marie-Justine Torres, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Ottawa, 613-327-5918, [email protected]; Media relationsTransport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055, [email protected]