The Brief: Mike Holden on why Bill C-5 is a good start, but not a complete strategy

Aug 5, 2025

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Bill C-5 — otherwise known by its full name, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act — is now officially law. While the name may be a mouthful, its goal is clear: to finally fix what Canada has long struggled with, which is getting major projects approved and built faster.

But is C-5 just what the economy ordered, or will it struggle to achieve its intentions and become another overpromised, underdelivered piece of policy? Scott Crockatt is joined by BCA's VP of Policy and Chief Economist Mike Holden to answer this very question. Scott and Mike unpack Canada's "lost decade" and the lack of productivity growth that is alarming Canadian policy thinkers and economists, including the fact that Canada ranks 37 out of 38 OECD countries in productivity growth over the last decade (only ahead of Luxembourg).

The podcast will also break down what’s actually in the bill: its biggest strengths, its political hurdles, and the early pushback it’s already facing. Finally, the episode wraps with a broad discussion on whether the "production model" (i.e., Bill C-5) lives up to expectations from "the advertisement" (i.e., the Liberal election platform).

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