OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada expressed deep disappointment today in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s list of five fast-tracked “nation-building” projects.

“Canadians were told this government would deliver projects in the national interest,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. “Instead, we see a list that enriches foreign shareholders while leaving Canadians with higher energy costs and more climate pollution. One of the criteria in Bill C-5 should be that companies are majority Canadian-owned. Instead, there are no criteria at all—only a cabinet stamp of approval.”

LNG Canada expansion

LNG Canada has no Canadian ownership. The project sits in Haisla Nation territory, with the Nation participating through related business partnerships, but the profits flow overwhelmingly to the five foreign corporations that own it: Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and KOGAS.

Expanding LNG will push Canada further off track on climate. Fracking for gas releases huge amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times more damaging than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years. Studies show methane leaks from Canada’s fossil fuel sector are far higher than government reports admit, erasing the claim that LNG is “cleaner” than coal.

Montreal Port Expansion

The inclusion of the Port of Montreal expansion at Contrecoeur raises serious environmental, governance and sovereignty concerns. The project would destroy critical habitat for the endangered copper redhorse fish, one of the most at-risk species in Quebec. It is also being developed in partnership with DP World, a company controlled by the authoritarian regime of Dubai. That means one of the largest industrial projects on the St. Lawrence in decades will be designed and operated by a foreign state-owned enterprise.

Meanwhile, the Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE) has launched legal action to challenge the constitutionality of Bill C-5, the law Carney is using to fast-track these projects. The CQDE warns that Bill C-5 strips away environmental protections and allows the federal cabinet to override scientific advice, creating a system of arbitrary decision-making.

“Quebecers have been clear that they reject Ottawa’s attempt to trample environmental protections,” said May. “This project is a textbook example of how Bill C-5 concentrates power in cabinet, weakens democratic oversight and puts our natural heritage in jeopardy.”

Several First Nations in Ontario are already challenging the legality of Bill C-5, arguing that it strips away environmental protections and undermines their constitutional right to be consulted on projects that affect their lands and waters.

Darlington nuclear project

The Darlington small nuclear reactor project has a projected cost of more than $20 billion, making it one of the most expensive energy projects in Canadian history. Prior to being added to the Major Projects Office list the project was already approved and had received a $975-million low-interest loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the single largest public subsidy for an SMR in Canada. Although Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is the proponent, major contracts have gone to multinational corporations with substantial foreign ownership, including U.S.-based GE Hitachi and Kiewit.

“This project diverts resources from faster, cheaper clean energy options,” said May. “SMR technology remains theoretical. There are no small modular reactors producing electricity anywhere in the world.”

What real nation-building looks like

The Green Party argues that true nation-building projects are those that strengthen Canadian sovereignty and cut emissions, not those that expand fossil fuel exports. Recent national polling backs this view:

  • Two thirds of Canadians say they would choose clean-energy projects over oil and gas development  according to a June 2025 Abacus Data survey commissioned by Clean Energy Canada.
  • The same Abacus survey found 85% of Canadians want federal climate action maintained or increased.

“Imagine if we committed to a coast-to-coast clean energy grid,” said May. “That would lower energy costs for households, attract new industries, and help Canada meet its climate obligations. That is the kind of nation-building Canadians actually want.”

The Green Party is calling on the federal government to redirect its infrastructure program toward projects that keep wealth and decision-making in Canada: renewable power generation, an interconnected electricity grid, efficient public transit and climate-resilient infrastructure.

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For media inquiries or to arrange an interview: media@greenparty.ca