Event24 September 2026Statement

Conservative deputy leader Lantsman says her party will 'scrutinize the legislation' on C-39 and seek amendments in the special legislative committee, without saying how it will vote

In the House of Commons on 24 September 2026, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said: "Conservatives are not rejecting Bill C-39, but we will study it, press for details, scrutinize it and work to improve it." Answering a question later that afternoon, she said: "we are going to take the time to scrutinize the legislation and look for pieces in the legislation that we can improve. Once it gets to that legislative committee, we are going to propose the amendments necessary to actually get shovels in the ground." CBC News reported on 25 September that the government had moved to refer the 243-page bill to a legislative committee struck to study only this bill, a tool last used for a government bill in 2012 under Stephen Harper. CBC also reported that Conservative MPs had not said how they would vote. As of 29 September 2026, LEGISinfo showed the bill still at second reading (debated 23 to 25 September) with no recorded votes.

Date: 24 September 2026
Kind: Statement
Where: Canada
Evidence: Statement: Something was said. Weighted lowest: words cost less than actions. How evidence is weighed
Who: Conservative Party of Canada (acted); Melissa Lantsman (spoke)

Sources

Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo), “LEGISinfo: C-39 (45-1), An Act respecting certain measures to strengthen the economy (Building Canada Strong Act)” (external site), September 2026. source record
openparliament.ca, “Bill C-39 (45-1): debates” (external site), 25 September 2026. source record
CBC News (via Yahoo News Canada), “Carney government to study new major projects bill with tool last used in Harper era” (external site), 25 September 2026. source record

Quotes

“We are going to take the time to scrutinize the legislation and look for pieces in the legislation that we can improve”

From CBC News (via Yahoo News Canada): Carney government to study new major projects bill with tool last used in Harper era, para. 18 (near end, Lantsman)

Laws and agreements

Building Canada Strong Act (C-39)

Claims that rest on this event

SupportsMechanism
Nothing yet tests whether C-39 (the bill making the federal fast track permanent) and the Productivity Mega Deduction (a tax write-off for new investment) would survive a change of government: the Conservatives have not voted on either and have not said how they will vote on C-39, so claims that they are durable rest on statements.
Still no vote position.

How it bears on the outcome

Explanation	Fit	Why
O0 No meaningful speed-up	Neutral weak	The opposition says it will scrutinize and amend Bill C-39 without stating a vote; the bill is still at second reading, so nothing about pace or destination is observed.
O1 Faster, but the extra output goes mostly elsewhere	Neutral weak	The opposition says it will scrutinize and amend Bill C-39 without stating a vote; the bill is still at second reading, so nothing about pace or destination is observed.
O2 Faster, and more volume reaches the US (this level or higher)	Neutral weak	The opposition says it will scrutinize and amend Bill C-39 without stating a vote; the bill is still at second reading, so nothing about pace or destination is observed.
O3 Locked-in preferential terms for the US	Neutral weak	The opposition says it will scrutinize and amend Bill C-39 without stating a vote; the bill is still at second reading, so nothing about pace or destination is observed.