Premiers express optimism after pitching major projects to Carney

Unity was a recurring theme that came out of the first ministers’ meeting in Saskatoon on Monday.

The Prime Ministers met Prime Minister Mark Carney to present their ideas for “nation construction projects” and generally seemed satisfied with the progress made.

“I’m going to be very frank here – this is the best meeting we had in 10 years,” said Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford at a press conference after the meeting.

“Large collaboration, great communication and we all left this united play.”

The Carney government is preparing for table legislation which would accelerate the projects considered to be in the national interest. A list of projects was not finalized on Monday, but the Prime Minister said that he would “move quickly” to start approving projects.

“More projects will manifest. The door will not suddenly descend. The projects will also fall on the edge of the road because they will not necessarily meet all the criteria,” said Carney at the press conference on Monday.

“It’s a living list.”

Carney has listed a number of projects discussed, mainly trade focused, energy infrastructure and critical minerals.

“I described it today as Santa Claus,” said Ford about Carney.

“He comes and his sleigh was full of all kinds of stuff. Now he takes up the North Pole. He will settle it and then he will call us.”

The Prime Minister of New Brunswick, Susan Holt, took over the joke of Ford to underline the feeling of unity that comes out of the meeting.

“On Christmas morning at home, my children are quite excited and do not fight for their toys,” she said.

“We are not going to compete with each other because we support each province here.”

Monday’s meeting was the first time that Carney has been meeting the ministers since the elections of this spring and the Prime Minister of Alberta, Danielle Smith, and the Prime Minister of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe – who had generally marked heads with Ottawa when Justin Trudeau was Prime Minister – seemed encouraged.

“Today has been a very positive meeting and I hope that Canadians feel very positive with their provincial, territorial and federal leaders who come out today,” Moe told journalists.

Moe said earlier on Monday that he thought Carney had so far done a better job to fight Western alienation than Trudeau. Smith echoed at this point at the press conference on Monday.

“I would say that I am encouraged by the change in your immediate that we have seen in recent months,” said Smith.

Western ministers gathered last month to discuss a range of questions that included energy, arctic security and economic corridors. When asked on Monday if he supported the proposed economic corridors, including more oil pipelines in Tidewater, Carney suggested that it would be at the same time that there is a means of reducing carbon emissions from oil production.

“In the broader context of the national interest … decarbonized barrels [of oil]Working alongside forms of decarbonization – which is absolutely in our interest, “said Carney.

“Let’s call it the big deal,” said Smith.

A potential point of snack leaving Monday’s meeting could be Smith’s request for a pipeline that brings Western oil to the north coast of British Columbia, a previously proposed pipeline experienced the resistance of the communities along the project route and was actually killed when the federal government announced the Moratory of the oil tankers in 2016.

Niki Sharma, assistant director of British Columbia, said on Monday morning that her province had “differences of opinion” on a pipeline through northern British Columbia

“We focus on where we can find the alignment,” Sharma told journalists. “With [a northern B.C. pipeline] Project, there is no supporter at this stage. We are going to focus on projects really ready for the shovel. “”

But Smith told journalists that supporters of a pipeline via northern British Columbia would appear if the regulatory system is changing.

The Prime Minister of Alberta had sent a letter to Carney in mid-May, affirming that there are several prerequisites necessary to make his national construction ambitions a success: include an oil pipeline on the initial list of projects, abandon the law on “unconstitutional” oil and gas emissions, by countering the law on the evaluation of the impact and renovating the tax on the industrial carbon of Canada, electricity.

Smith said on Monday evening that discussions on these collage points can be reserved for a “future conversation”.

First Nations concerned with pending legislation

In the coming weeks, the Liberal government is expected to file legislation on the “Canadian economy” that would provide initial approvals for major projects.

But some of the First Nations are raise concerns concerning the pending bill.

The National Chief of the First Nations Assembly, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, said on Monday that she was concerned about the way the legislation could have an impact on First Nations rights.

“Although we support efforts to protect Canada against geopolitical and economic uncertainty, First Nations are very concerned about the fact that this federal proposal has the potential to violate many collective rights of First Nations concerning land, water, resources, inherent title, rights, jurisdiction and the treaty,” Woodhouse said in a press release.

“First Nations will require clarifications concerning the design of commitment and consultation of the crown nations, the deadlines and the way in which rights holders will be invited to respond to the crown on this subject.”