'If Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed. That's what Canadians expect,' he said.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government will “do everything” to pass its “One Canadian Economy” legislation before the start of the summer break. If it fails, he said MPs might have to sit over the summer to get it adopted. Article content

On Friday, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc introduced “An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act” which is set to remove federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility and accelerate the realization of “nation-building projects.”

“Today is an important day for Canada, and it’s a day that has literally been decades in the making,” said Carney during a press conference alongside ministers LeBlanc, Chrystia Freeland, Tim Hodgson, Rebecca Alty and Rebecca Chartrand.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to build strength at home. This bill helps to unlock that,” he added. Article content

Carney said his intention is to see this bill passed before June 20, which is when the House of Commons is set to resume its work and MPs return to their ridings for the summer. Article content

“Yes, it is a top priority for this government, and we will do everything to get it passed before the summer. And if Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed. That’s what Canadians expect,” he said. Article content

The bill seeks to get projects deemed in the national interest built by focusing on a small number of projects. Those could mean highways, railways, ports, airports, oil and gas pipelines, critical minerals, mines, nuclear facilities, and electricity transmission systems.