Prime Minister Mark Carney greets attendees after announcing five major projects being considered for fast-track approval, in Edmonton on Sept. 11.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian Press

Candace Laing is the president and chief executive of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

We have turned Canada’s major-project announcements into what feels like a raffle, with everyone from investors to businesses to economists checking to see whose number comes up. According to the federal government, there are hundreds upon hundreds of major projects in the federal inventory, 32 considered for Major Projects Office attention, and only 11 hand-picked so far.

On Thursday Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a handful more of the winners, but our eyes immediately turned to those who once again missed out this round. “If you’re lucky, the government will pick you” cannot be the long-term message we send to project proponents and investors.

To get things built in Canada, we need “one project, one review” to be more than a slogan. It must be a binding and uniting principle. It’s simply fairness. While the new major projects legislation is a workaround for the time being, we ultimately need one consistent process.

And it can’t be a fast lane for a few marquee projects alongside an endless lineup........

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