The federal government’s latest omnibus legislation, An Act respecting certain measures to strengthen the economy (Bill C-39), is touted as necessary to build a stronger, more independent, and more sustainable economy. Instead, it pits these goals against the rule of law and Charter rights. “One of the many lessons we should draw from the rapid erosion of democratic norms in the United States is that open-ended executive powers are antithetical to a functioning democracy,” said  CCLA’s Executive Director Howard Sapers. ​Bill C-39 would expand the exemption powers created last year under Bill C-5, allowing Cabinet to designate "regions of national interest" where federal laws that would otherwise apply to a project can be overridden. It would also strip out the five-year sunset clause that kept those powers temporary. ​Together, these changes would turn what was presented as a limited and temporary power into what CCLA's Director of Fundamental Freedoms, Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, calls "a sweeping and permanent power grab by Cabinet." The Bill would also let the Minister of Labour direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board to end a legal strike that affects the "national interest,” without defining the term. “Giving the Minister of Labour broad discretion to end legal strikes does not strengthen Canada. It undermines freedom of association and further tilts the balance of power toward employers at a time when many workers in Canada are struggling to make ends meet,” continued Bussieres McNicoll. CCLA is urging the government to build a stronger economy without sacrificing what makes Canada a robust and functioning democracy. You can read our full press release here: ccla.org/press-release/bill-…