Carney’s Bill C-5 Echoes Ruby Dhalla’s Vision: A Federal Czar to Cut Through Red Tape and Get Canada Building

With the tabling of Bill C-5, Prime Minister Mark Carney is giving his cabinet sweeping new powers to override bureaucracy and fast-track major national projects — from housing to energy — through a new federal policy mechanism that many are already comparing to the once-proposed “czar” concept introduced by former Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla during her leadership campaign.

At its core, Bill C-5 creates an authority within cabinet to identify and designate specific projects as “in the national interest,” allowing the federal government to bypass layers of municipal and provincial red tape that routinely stall development. Cabinet ministers, under this bill, will have broad discretion to set timelines, issue binding directives, and override local planning processes. That’s not just a shift in pace — it’s a shift in power.

The structure and scope of Bill C-5 bears striking resemblance to Dhalla’s earlier proposal for a policy czar — an office that would be empowered to streamline nationally important projects, cut through redundant bureaucratic processes, and act as a central pivot between jurisdictions. That idea, introduced years ago, was grounded in the need for federal leadership on infrastructure and housing — areas where local resistance or provincial foot-dragging has left critical developments stuck in limbo.

Now, Carney’s version of that idea is becoming government policy. Whether inspired directly or indirectly, the similarities are impossible to ignore. The move signals that Ottawa is no longer content with advisory roles or back-channel negotiations. This is about central command.

Provinces have responded in mixed fashion. Alberta and Ontario have approached with enthusiasm, already indicating their willingness to bring forward stalled housing and transit projects for federal designation. Manitoba, dealing with long-standing delays in key Winnipeg developments, is cautiously optimistic — hopeful that the bill could unlock progress on projects otherwise bogged down by regulatory gridlock.

And there is no shortage of those stalled projects. In Winnipeg alone, several high-density housing proposals — some in planning for over five years — have been shelved due to intergovernmental disagreements, zoning challenges, and delays in environmental assessments. Bill C-5 could act as the lifeline these projects need, allowing developers to apply directly to the federal government for fast-tracked approval.

But the bill isn’t being met with open arms across the board. Indigenous leaders are already warning that Bill C-5 must not come at the expense of Indigenous sovereignty, rights, and land protections. Concerns have been raised that federal powers to bypass local and provincial red tape could also sidestep meaningful consultation with First Nations — an unacceptable outcome in a post-TRC Canada.

Despite the early pushback, it’s clear that Bill C-5 has the potential to dramatically alter the pace and power dynamics of development in Canada. It marks a pivot toward decisive federal intervention — and in doing so, reflects a long-simmering frustration with how long it takes to build anything in this country.

A good idea is a good idea. Ruby Dhalla saw the potential for a national project accelerator years ago, and now Prime Minister Carney is giving it a new federal shape with real legislative muscle. The need is urgent. The demand is national. And if Bill C-5 is executed with balance and respect, it could become one of the most transformative policy tools in recent Canadian memory.