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On Thursday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre announced he will soon table the Canadian Sovereignty Act to revitalize Canada's economy.

“A Conservative government would have acted more quickly to protect the sovereignty of our country,” Poilievre told reporters, noting Canada’s sovereignty “has eroded” under consecutive Liberal governments.

“Reward those who build, protect Canadian innovation,” he said, “and get shovels in the ground.”

On June 6, the Liberal government introduced Bill C-5, free trade legislation aimed at fast-tracking national interest project approvals from five years to a non-guaranteed two.

"The goal is to send a clear early signal, to build investor confidence and get projects to investment and construction faster," reads the document. It received royal assent on June 26 with Conservative backing.

As of the end of May, Canada saw $83.9 billion leave the country in 2025. Carney assumed office on March 14 after the January 6 prorogation of Parliament.

“Not a single major pipeline or natural gas facility has been identified for approval by the Carney government,” Poilievre said Thursday. 

In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney requested five infrastructure proposals from each premier. No projects or regulatory changes have been announced.

“We're going in the wrong direction,” Poilievre said.

The Tory leader pivoted to the Sovereignty Act, which he claims will legalize pipelines and other major projects by repealing the anti-development law (C-69) and tanker ban (C-48).

Bill C-5 also aims to streamline regulatory approval for major projects, while considering Indigenous, provincial, and territorial interests through dedicated offices.

“We need to get building now, and that's why the Conservative proposal for a sovereignty act will take action immediately,” Poilievre said, vowing to pressure the government in the upcoming fall session.

Beyond the proposed act, Conservatives urged Carney to initiate construction on two pipelines, a natural gas liquefaction project, and a road to Ontario's Ring of Fire within his first year, deeming it vital for Canada's economic independence and prosperity.

“That doesn't happen through speeches … and press releases, it happens through action,” Poilievre continued. “We need shovels in the ground.” 

Since 2015, the Liberal government has halted 16 major resource projects, representing a total of $670 billion. Poilievre criticized these actions as "self-imposed, self-inflicted attacks on our economy," despite the government's advocacy for free trade.