Current Status
Status: In Progress
The Carney government has enacted legislation and established a new office to streamline reviews, with initial projects now under accelerated assessment.
Background
Canada's regulatory framework for major infrastructure projects has long been criticized for lengthy delays that hinder economic growth and energy development. During the 2025 federal election campaign, Mark Carney positioned this promise as a key plank in his platform to boost competitiveness, emphasizing the need to cut red tape while maintaining environmental standards and Indigenous consultations. Fulfilling it would require legislative changes or new mechanisms to shorten approval timelines, particularly for energy projects like pipelines and LNG facilities, without compromising oversight. Under the previous Trudeau government, reforms such as the Impact Assessment Act aimed to modernize reviews, but critics argued they added complexity rather than speed. Carney's pledge sought to address these inefficiencies directly, appealing to voters in resource-dependent regions by promising faster paths to project approvals.
Evidence
On June 26, 2025, the Building Canada Act received royal assent, establishing a framework to accelerate national interest projects, including energy infrastructure, by affirming the need for expedited processes while committing to environmental protections and Indigenous rights [5]. This legislation, enacted under the Carney government, sets the stage for streamlined reviews.
In August 2025, the Carney government launched the Major Projects Office (MPO), designed to fast-track assessments by reducing approval timelines to a maximum of two years and implementing a "one project, one review" approach in partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous groups [1].
On September 11, 2025, Prime Minister Carney announced the first projects referred to the MPO, including LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, British Columbia, marking the initial application of the expedited review process to major energy infrastructure [1].
No further actions, such as completed reviews or additional legislative amendments specifically tied to this promise, have been documented as of March 11, 2026.
Assessment
Mark Carney's government has moved decisively to expedite project reviews by passing the Building Canada Act and launching the Major Projects Office, actions that directly target the promise's focus on major energy infrastructure. The referral of initial projects like LNG Canada Phase 2 demonstrates tangible steps toward shorter timelines, with the two-year maximum now embedded in the process. While full implementation will depend on how these reviews unfold, the legislative and operational foundations laid since Carney took office show clear progress in addressing regulatory bottlenecks.
That said, the promise's ultimate success hinges on whether these measures result in actual expedited approvals without undue delays. As of now, with projects just entering the pipeline, the government has established a credible mechanism but has not yet delivered completed outcomes. Continued monitoring will be essential to ensure the accelerated framework holds up against real-world challenges in energy development.
Sources
- Prime Minister Carney announces first projects to be reviewed by the new Major Projects Office | Prime Minister of Canada
- Powering Canada: A blueprint for success - Natural Resources Canada
- Horizontal Evaluation of the Major Projects Management Office Initiative (MPMOI) - Natural Resources Canada
- Government Bill (House of Commons) C-69 (42-1) - First Reading - An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts - Parliament of Canada
- Building Canada Act
- Overview of the Department of Justice - Department of Justice Canada Minister's Transition Book
- Impact Assessment Act
- Energy Efficiency Act