Environmental laws could change to boost energy projects, Carney says
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he'll consider altering environmental regulations passed by his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, in order to facilitate investment in major projects in Canada, including oil and gas pipelines.
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'We will change things at the federal level that need to be changed in order for projects to move forward,' Carney told CTV News in an interview that aired Tuesday, shortly after his new cabinet was sworn into office.
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Asked if those changes might apply to C-69 — legislation that created new rules for environmental assessments — or to a proposed cap on oil and gas industry emissions, he replied: 'Absolutely it could include both. But I'm not going to do it conceptually. I'm going to do it on specifics, do it for moving forward.'
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The two laws have been regularly cited by Pierre Poilievre, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, as impediments to major conventional energy developments. Before entering politics, Carney wrote and spoke at length about the importance of transitioning away from hydrocarbon-based energy to fight climate change.
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His Liberal government faces a tense relationship with the premier of the oil-rich province of Alberta, where some are even agitating to secede from Canada.
Former central banker won Canada's April 28 election, with his Liberal Party winning the most seats but falling just short of a House of Commons majority. The new energy minister is Tim Hodgson, a former director of Ontario electricity utility Hydro One Ltd. and Canadian oil producer MEG Energy Corp., and previously the CEO of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Canada.
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Carney said his plan to make Canada a superpower 'in both clean and conventional energies' involves using domestic oil and gas production to displace imports — particularly from the US — as well as increasing exports. But it also means Canada should play a major role in nuclear and hydroelectricity, and possibly carbon capture and storage technology, he added.
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He declined to say whether he trusts US President Donald Trump as the two leaders prepare to negotiate a new economic and security relationship between their countries. Carney said it's an advantage to Canada that the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement exists and it's 'not right that it's being violated' by Trump, who has sidestepped the agreement in placing tariffs on products including steel, aluminum and cars.
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Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Carney defends inviting Modi to G7 as probe of Nijjar's killing continues
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is defending his decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit later this month — despite the fact that security officials have linked Modi's government to the murder of a Canadian man two years ago. Carney extended the invitation to Modi during a phone call Friday morning and Modi accepted. The summit runs from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alta. During a Friday afternoon press conference on Parliament Hill, Carney said that the G7 summit will focus on forging partnerships with emerging and developing nations. He said it makes sense to have India at the table because it's one of the world's largest economies and plays a key role in global supply chains. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Bilaterally, we have now agreed importantly to continued law enforcement dialogue. So there's been some progress on that. That recognizes issues of accountability,' Carney said. 'I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context and he has accepted.' 'As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the summit,' Modi said in a social media statement. Modi's comment did not mention the 'law enforcement dialogue' cited by Carney. India's ministry of external affairs issued a statement Friday with similar wording to Modi's comment. Both congratulated Carney on his recent electoral victory. The invitation prompted an angry reaction from the World Sikh Organization of Canada, which wrote to Carney in May asking him not to invite Modi. 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'Canadians expect the government to stand in solidarity with Canadians who have expressed their concerns about the (Bharatiya Janata Party) government's record and human rights violations in India,' said McPherson. 'Some of these Canadians live in fear of threat of reprisal against themselves and their families. Canada must stand on the side of human rights, justice, and accountability not diplomatic expediency.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Kwan said that the government 'must explain how justice and human rights are being upheld through this invitation.' Balpreet Singh said the World Sikh Organization doesn't plan on sending further correspondence to the prime minister about Modi's invitation. 'What's the point? I mean, we sent something out on May 21 and received no response,' he said. 'And clearly, our voices don't matter to him.' 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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Carney agrees to ‘regularize' communication between Canada and China
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives to a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick In a notable move amid recent diplomatic and trade tensions, Prime Minister Mark Carney has agreed to 'regularize channels of communication between Canada and China' after having a conversation with a top Chinese official on Thursday. According to a readout from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) released late Thursday, Carney and Chinese Premier Li Qiang also agreed to work together to address the fentanyl crisis and discussed trade between the two countries. 'Prime Minister Carney took the opportunity to raise trade irritants affecting agriculture and agri-food products, including canola and seafood, as well as other issues, with Premier Li,' the readout says. 'They welcomed their trade ministers' meeting this week, during which Canada and China agreed to convene the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC) at an early date to address outstanding trade issues,' the statement goes on to say. The PMO has confirmed to CTV News this was Carney's first conversation with Chinese leadership since becoming prime minister. Carney's outreach to China comes as he seeks to strengthen economic ties with other large economies like China and India in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's global trade war. Asked directly while speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Friday on whether he trusts China, Carney did not give an explicit answer. 'This is the start of a process of recalibrating the relationship with China. It's very important that we reopen dialog with Chinese authorities for several reasons,' Carney said, while highlighting China as Canada's 'second largest trading partner.' Previously, during the federal election earlier this year, Carney called China one of the largest threats when it comes to foreign interference in Canada and emerging threats in the Arctic. 'China willing to work with Canada:' Li In an interview with CTV Question Period back in May, China's Ambassador to Canada Wang Di expressed China's desire to meet with the Carney government 'as soon as possible' to discuss the latest trade issues between the two countries. Premier Li released a statement on Friday, saying he spoke with Carney at the prime minister's request. 'China is willing to work with Canada, in the spirit of looking to the future, to promote the steady improvement of bilateral relations, bring them onto a track of sound and steady development, and strive for win-win cooperation,' Li said. Last October – under the government of former prime minister Justin Trudeau – Canada followed the U.S. lead and imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), accusing Beijing of 'distorting global trade' by exporting EVs at 'unfairly low prices.' Canada also hit China with a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum. Following its own so-called anti-discrimination investigation, China retaliated by imposing a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola oil and canola meal, along with several other tariffs on Canadian agricultural products. In 2024, Canada's total canola exports to China were valued at almost $5 billion. China is also Canada's second-largest seafood market. Premiers have been putting pressure on Carney to improve trade relations with China and get those tariffs lifted. At the First Ministers' Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday, Carney said the federal government planned to work urgently to remove Chinese tariffs on impacted Canadian agriculture and seafood products. 'The Canadian government is engaging with its Chinese counterparts at the ministerial level and we'll continue those discussions,' Carney told reporters on Monday. The relationship between Canada and China still has not recovered since 2018 after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on behalf of the United States over bank fraud charges. Days later, China separately detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor over allegations of espionage – accusations they denied. Both men were eventually released after spending more than 1,000 days in a Chinese prison, not long after Meng herself was released from house arrest. China's ambassador to Canada – who assumed his role in June 2024 – acknowledged those past tensions when speaking to CTV Question Period last month but insisted China is 'ready to move on and look ahead.' 'We are ready to work together with Canada to bring our relationship back onto the right track,' Wang said.
