Bell: Good news? Danielle Smith and Mark Carney now talking big energy projects for Alberta
Well what do have here from the office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith?
Article content
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Smith have now both named teams of negotiators 'for the purpose of collaborating on the advancement of major energy projects of national interest that involve Alberta.'
Article content
Article content
The teams involve cabinet ministers and senior officials appointed to this 'federal-provincial Table.'
Article content
Article content
In the case of Alberta, Smith has already said the team is two cabinet ministers — Jason Nixon and Rajan Sawhney — and two deputy ministers and Rob Anderson, the premier's right-hand man.
Article content
Article content
Now a lot of what Smith said at the Global Energy Show in Calgary in answer to questions from the scribbler makes sense.
Article content
In Calgary, Smith said there are 'ways we can find accommodation' with Carney.
Article content
Along with the premier wanting a bitumen pipeline to the port of Prince Rupert in B.C., Alberta will also want changes to anti-oil policies cooked up when Justin Trudeau was the Liberal prime minister.
Article content
'He has to say he's not having the emissions cap and that means not bringing it in. Not acting would be a positive,' says the premier.
Article content
Article content
No Liberal cap on oil and gas emissions is one of the nine demands Smith has made to Carney.
Article content
Smith said in the past you can't really build more pipelines and increase oil production in a big way and have the cap.
Article content
Then there's the tanker ban off the west coast. How about only lifting the tanker ban around Prince Rupert?
Article content
'On the issue of the tanker ban, maybe we come to an agreement that if all roads lead to the port of Prince Rupert just carve out Prince Rupert so you can protect the rest of the coast. I can live with that,' said Smith.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'If he can accept that then I think we have some common ground.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Emerging quantum technologies take the spotlight at Kananaskis G7 summit
By The Canadian Press OTTAWA - The Liberal government has named quantum technologies as a priority topic for the G7 meeting in Kananaskis — placing the nascent tech centre stage at the summit for the first time. It's a move meant to showcase Canada's strength in the emerging field, which, like artificial intelligence, promises to transform many industries.
Ottawa Citizen
3 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Multiple Ottawa protests against Modi, Trump and arms for Israel
Article content Thousands of people attended protests across Ottawa on Saturday as Canada geared up for the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta. Article content World leaders are gather in the Rocky Mountains from June 15 to 17 to discuss geopolitical and economic issues. Among them is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who Prime Minister Mark Carney invited to the summit as a guest even though India is not one of the G7 countries. Article content Article content Article content Article content Modi's attendance at the G7 has sparked anger in Canada's Sikh community. Many were warned by police that their lives were at risk and have alleged for years that the Indian government is behind those threats. The RCMP also put out a statement last October linking India's government with 'serious criminal activity' in Canada, saying that activity posed a 'serious threat' to public safety. Article content Hundreds of Sikhs gathered on Parliament Hill on Saturday to protest against Modi's G7 attendance and Carney's invitation. Many wore brightly coloured turbans and carried kirpans, the ceremonial daggers or knives worn by initiated (Amritdhari) Sikhs. Some waved yellow pro-Khalistan flags, a symbol of the Sikh separatist movement primarily in the Indian state of Punjab. Article content The protest came two days after Global News reported that an Indian agent had former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh under close surveillance, prompting the RCMP to place Singh in police protection 18 months ago. Article content Article content Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the World Sikh Federation of Canada, said Carney's invitation felt like a betrayal. Article content 'If there's a foreign government trying to kill your political leaders, you would think they wouldn't be welcome in your country, but it seems Prime Minister Carney thinks otherwise,' he told the Ottawa Citizen. Article content 'There's over a dozen Sikhs that are living with duties to warn, which means there are imminent threats to their lives from the Government of India … They can't be around their families, they can't be in public spaces. They have to change the way they live their lives, and this is just the past couple of years.' Article content Moninder Singh, another spokesperson for the World Sikh Federation of Canada, said Modi's attendance constituted a threat to Canada's sovereignty. Article content Top Canadian security officials have previously warned that India, China and Russia would try to illegally influence the 2025 federal election. The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections task force said India would use its network of allies and proxies to 'assert its geopolitical influence' and meddle in democratic processes.
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Quebec Liberals choose Pablo Rodriguez as new leader
Without a full-time leader since 2022, the party now turns its attention to the next provincial election. Published Jun 14, 2025 • Last updated 3 minutes ago • 6 minute read Pablo Rodriguez gives a speech at the Quebec Liberal Party Leadership Conference in Quebec City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Joel Ryan/The Canadian Press QUEBEC — The Quebec Liberals have elected former federal Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez as the new leader of their party. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account On the second round of voting because no candidate achieved a majority of 50 per cent plus one in the first, Rodriguez narrowly beat out his last contender, Charles Milliard, the former president of the Fédération des chambre de commerce du Québec, on Saturday. Rodriguez, who had been considered the front-runner in the contest over the last weeks, won the leadership with 195,473 points or 52.3 per cent of the vote. Milliard was not far behind, earning 178,527 points or 47.7 per cent of the vote. Rodriguez succeeds leader Dominique Anglade, who resigned in 2022 after delivering the worst electoral score in the history of the party. Rodriguez becomes the 15th full-time leader of the 157-year-old political party. The last time the Liberals elected a leader was in March 2013 when Philippe Couillard defeated two opponents, winning the vote with 58.5 per cent of the vote on the first ballot. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anglade was crowned leader in May 2020 after her lone opponent pulled out. To the surprise of many, former Roberval MNA and party veteran Karl Blackburn did not survive beyond the first ballot. He placed third with 103,265 points or 27.6 per cent. Milliard beat him narrowly with 107,345 points or 28.7 per cent, allowing him to face Rodriguez in a final round. Rodriguez got 145,878 points or 39 per cent of the vote, not enough to win on a first ballot. The other two candidates in the race, Marc Bélanger, a Matane lawyer specializing in tax law, and Mario Roy, a Beauce farmer and economist, also failed to get over the first ballot vote and were dropped. Bélanger got 14,659 points or 3.9 per cent of the vote. Roy got 2,853 points or 0.8 per cent of the vote. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Under the election regulations, only the top two candidates, Rodriguez and Milliard, were left on the ballot for the final tabulation of votes. It was based on the Liberal members' second and third candidate preferences. The party opted for a preferential two-round voting system, which made predicting the results very difficult. Each of Quebec's 125 ridings had the same clout in the vote with each assigned 3,000 points. Of the total, 1,000 points were reserved for youth members. To win, a candidate needed a majority of the 375,000 points. Failing to do so would spark a second round of counting, but the three candidates with the lowest scores were dropped off. But the wait for the second ballot to be tabulated, which was supposed to be 15 minutes, dragged on longer than planned with delegates taking turns cheering for their candidates. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The vote came at the end of a one-day leadership convention held at the Centre des congrès in Quebec City. The race was between five candidates. About 750 Liberals were in attendance. While most Liberals had voted by phone or internet, some waited because they wanted to cast their ballots in person at the convention. Each of the candidates were thus given time to make a last pitch for their support in morning speeches. First up was Roy, who, during the last of the debates, announced he would not rally to the winner regardless of who it was. On Saturday, his tone had changed and he thanked each of them by name. Candidate Bélanger called upon his two sons to address the crowd about their dreams for a better future. The three top contenders, Rodriguez, Blackburn and Milliard, pulled out all the stops, each opening their speeches with slick videos and loud cheerings from supporters wearing scarves and waving signs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. All three pledged to run for the Liberals in the 2026 general election whether they won the leadership or not. Rodriguez repeated that he left federal politics because he was worried about the future of Quebec. He said it is 'fundamental' that a premier govern for all Quebecers. 'We deserve more than a premier who divides to conquer,' Rodriguez said. 'No matter your name, your religion or where you come from, this is your home. This is your home because a Quebecer is a Quebecer is a Quebecer.' 'I am not promising miracles,' Milliard said. 'I am not a magician. But I can promise you one thing. I will fight with you and for you all the way. We have to beat the CAQ and block the PQ, but above all we have to start dreaming again in Quebec.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Blackburn blasted Legault for pursuing a policy of division in Quebec. 'I want to be able to bring all Quebecers together,' he said in English. 'When we work together we are stronger than ever.' On hand to witness the event were former leaders Daniel Johnson, Jean Charest, Couillard and Anglade. But the focus of the day was on electing the leader. As of Friday evening, with about 60 per cent of votes cast, the handlers of the five candidates said they had no idea how the vote would go Saturday. The convention vote caps a very long leadership race that formally lasted six months but informally has been underway for nearly three years. Having lost to the CAQ in 2018 and 2022 and faced with four long years in opposition, the Liberals took a go-slow approach to finding a new leader. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For a time there was speculation no candidates would want to step up and run given the moribund state of the party, which was reduced to 20 MNAs in the election and currently has 19 seats mostly in the Montreal area. The Liberals in 2022 earned less than 15 per cent of the vote. The party, nevertheless, formed the official opposition, which means it has a larger operating budget and gets to ask most of the questions to the government in the legislature. It also launched a detailed overhaul of its policies, which the new leader may or may not choose to implement. The biggest problem the Liberals face is that they remain on the outs with francophone voters in the regions. Rebuilding that trust becomes the first task of the new leader. In the last Léger poll published May 14 in the Journal de Montréal, the Liberals were polling at 10 per cent among francophones alone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The PQ had the support of 42 per cent of francophones while the CAQ had 23 per cent. The overall standings placed the PQ first in voter intentions with 33 per cent of the vote, followed by the Liberals with 21 per cent and the CAQ 20 per cent. The Quebec Conservatives had 13 per cent, and Quebec solidaire had 10 per cent. On the bright side for all the opposition parties, the same poll revealed 63 per cent of Quebecers want a change of government. The poll also showed support for the Liberals would soar to 31 per cent under the leadership of Rodriguez. Under Blackburn, Liberal support would be 25 per cent and 21 per cent with Milliard at the helm. The Léger poll was conducted from May 9-11 and is based on the opinions of 1,051 persons 18 years and over. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The legislature resumes sitting Sept. 16, but for now the new leader does not have a seat and will have to name an MNA as interim opposition parliamentary party leader. That job has belonged to Marc Tanguay since Anglade left. Some Liberals think that there is no rush for the leader to get a seat. Since the Liberals have seats in the legislature, they are still allowed to invite in their leader so he can hold news conferences to comment on the events of the day. There is one seat currently vacant, Arthabaska, in central Quebec but it is not a good fit for the Liberals, which have not elected anyone there since 2008. The PQ, Conservatives and Québec solidaire have already named their candidates. The race is expected to be between PQ candidate Alex Boissonneault and Conservative Éric Duhaime, who is the party leader and trying to get a seat in the house for a second time. The premier has until September to call the byelection. This report will be updated. World Sunshine Girls Golf Columnists Sunshine Girls
