Federal Liberals in ‘honeymoon' with Alberta — for now
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Executives in the oil and gas industry are waiting to find out if the Carney government will fast-track a new pipeline as part of its nation-building agenda.
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Until they get that clarity, they are still dealing with significant policy uncertainty from Ottawa, according to the Business Council of Alberta, which outlined potential actions to improve investment in a recent report.
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'There (are) still lots of concerns and lots of issues to deal with, but there's more reason to be hopeful now than we've seen in a long time,' said Mike Holden, the council's chief economist.
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A federal bill that would speed up natural resource and infrastructure projects that are deemed in the national interest has drawn cautious optimism from the energy sector, amid concerns from Indigenous peoples and environmental groups.
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In its wish list for Ottawa, Holden's group wants the government to repeal or reform policies that have held back investment in the oilpatch, including a tanker ban on the West Coast and a proposed oil and gas emissions cap.
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However, there is hope among many businesses that Ottawa could fast-track major projects — namely pipelines — by overriding some of these controversial policies.
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'I think this is the honeymoon with Carney,' Holden said.
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Industry and the federal government are having important discussions about increasing Canada's ability to export and develop natural resources, according to Deborah Yedlin, chief executive of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
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'There's a sense of optimism that I have not sensed from an energy standpoint in 10 years,' Yedlin said.
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Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson has met regularly with those in the energy sector since he was sworn in, she said.
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