Mark Carney’s major-projects agenda still has a second statute on the Order Paper — not yet law. Bill C-39, short title Building Canada Strong Act, received first reading on 21 September 2026. LEGISinfo and House Journals record second-reading debate on 23 September (Sitting 142), 24 September (Sitting 143), and 25 September 2026 (Sitting 144). Committee stage has not been reached.
Sitting 144’s government motion would send C-39 to a legislative committee — a bespoke panel, not a standing committee — after second reading. Until Royal Assent, none of its clocks or labour tools are law.
Update — 5 October: the House returns to C-39
The House’s Projected Order of Business for Monday, 5 October 2026 (Sitting No. 145) lists C-39 at 12:00 p.m. under Government Orders: “Second reading (resuming debate on the previous question moved by Ryan Turnbull (Whitby)).” Debate resumes after Question Period and Routine Proceedings. The previous question is a procedural motion that, once moved, blocks amendments to the main motion. The main motion is still second reading plus referral to a legislative committee. LEGISinfo’s latest activity row is still the 25 September debate, and no second-reading vote is recorded yet. Tuesday 6 October is the first allotted (opposition) day, so Government Orders give way that day. Some outlet previews listed other government bills (C-28, C-2, C-34) for 5 October. The House’s own projected agenda for the day shows C-39, so that is what this piece reports.
What moved on 25 September
Journals Sitting 144 (25 Sep) resumed consideration of the motion that C-39 “be now read a second time and referred to a legislative committee.” Debate continued; Ryan Turnbull moved “that this question be now put.” The House adjourned until Monday, 5 October 2026. LEGISinfo’s latest activity row remains debate at second reading on Friday 25 September — not a recorded second-reading passage vote.
CBC (25 Sep) reported that Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon intends the uncommon legislative-committee route so one panel can study the whole omnibus — a tool last used for a government bill under Harper (e.g. Copyright Modernization / Wheat Board files). With a majority, Liberals can pass the referral without opposition support; Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said the Official Opposition will scrutinize and seek amendments once the committee sits. Membership and start date were not yet set as of research date.
Labour Code s.107 — the contested guardrail
Part 3 of the first-reading text amends the Canada Labour Code, including new requirements before the minister directs the Canada Industrial Relations Board under section 107. CBC (27 Sep) reported Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu describing a special mediator (about 21 days) whose report on bargaining issues would become public (absent a deal) and must be considered before a s.107 back-to-work order, plus a “national interest” adverse-effect belief test. Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said the government “broke its promise” on the right to strike if ministers can end legal strikes against a national-interest test; CUPE passed a resolution vowing to defy the bill if passed unamended. Those are on-record frames — not court holdings.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told CBC she sees red flags in one-year federal review clocks that subordinate the honour of the Crown to commercial imperatives — again, advocacy framing pending committee text.
What the parliamentary summary still says
The House first-reading summary (primary) structures the bill in three citizen-facing blocks:
- Part 1 — project evaluations: Impact Assessment Act one-year decision-statement timing after required studies for Agency-led assessments; CNSC as responsible authority for certain nuclear-linked projects; Building Canada Act region of national interest schedule; Canadian Energy Regulator Act one-year clocks; navigable-waters, CEPA, Species at Risk, and Fisheries Act feasibility/offset tweaks.
- Part 2 — supply chains: Transport project office; trade-corridor designations and a National Trade Corridors Council; Canada Marine Act port/Seaway tools; digital-trade electronic documents Act.
- Part 3 — work force: Canada Labour Code changes on bargaining timelines, successor rights in contractor flips, special mediation, and new requirements when the Minister directs the CIRB under section 107.
Contested: Government: speed without gutting reviews; transparency before s.107. Environmental groups: diluted federal assessment. Labour: strike rights under threat. AFN: predetermined clocks vs honour of the Crown. Industry: predictability. This piece does not invent Royal Assent, filled region schedules, or a CIRB order already issued under C-39.
Status as of 6 October 2026
Journals No. 145 records that on Monday, 5 October the House resumed debate on the second-reading motion (referral to a legislative committee) and on Ryan Turnbull’s previous-question motion. “The debate continued.” No vote was taken. Tuesday, 6 October is the first opposition day, and no government bill is called (Order Paper No. 146). The House has agreed to sit until midnight on 6 and 7 October. C-39 is still at second reading and is not law.
Update, 7 October 2026: The earlier line that no government bill would be called on 6 October was wrong for the evening. Journals No. 146 show that after Private Members’ Business, during the extended sitting, the House resumed Government Orders on C-39: the second-reading motion and Ryan Turnbull’s previous-question motion. “The debate continued,” and no vote was taken. The House adjourned at 12:19 a.m. C-39 is still at second reading and is not law.
Update, 8 October 2026: Journals No. 147 show that on 7 October, at 6:21 p.m. and by unanimous consent, the House resumed debate on C-39 and on Ryan Turnbull’s previous-question motion. At midnight the previous question was agreed to on division. Under Standing Order 61(2) the House then put the main motion, second reading and referral to a legislative committee, and under Standing Order 45 the recorded division was deferred to Thursday, 8 October, at the end of Question Period. The same day, the Procedure and House Affairs committee’s 34th report named the Legislative Committee on Bill C-39: Albas, Bains, Desrochers, Gourde, Harrison, Kelloway, Lawrence, Leslie, Louis, Martin and Ste-Marie. If today’s vote carries, C-39 goes to that committee. It would still not be law.
Update, 9 October 2026: Journals No. 148 record that after Question Period on 8 October the House took the deferred recorded division on second reading and referral to a legislative committee. It was agreed to, 296 yeas to 26 nays (Division No. 178), with 10 members paired. LEGISinfo dates second reading to 3:15 p.m. The Journals list shows Liberals and Conservatives voting yes, including Prime Minister Carney. The 26 nays were Bloc Québécois MPs, New Democrats and Green MP Elizabeth May. The Speaker appointed James Maloney (Etobicoke—Lakeshore) to chair the Legislative Committee on Bill C-39. C-39 is now at committee stage. Report stage, third reading, the Senate and Royal Assent are still to come, so none of its clocks or Labour Code tools are law.
Bottom line
Do not write “Carney passed C-39.” Do not confuse C-39 with already-in-force Bill C-5 Building Canada Act tools. Second reading carried 296–26 on 8 October. Track: the legislative committee’s meetings and witness list, committee text on regions and Labour Code s.107 directions, and any Gazette-ready schedules. Pair with the West Coast Oil Pipeline file, which was added to Schedule 1 under already-in-force Bill C-5 tools by OIC PC 2026-0925 on 1 October. That is a listing, not a CER certificate.
