Varcoe: Smith, Moe welcome PM's confidence that oil pipeline will make Ottawa's major project wish list
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Premier Danielle Smith is welcoming Prime Minister Mark Carney's comment on the weekend that it's 'highly, highly likely' such a project will be put on the fast-track list for approval — and she hopes to have a proposal backed by private-sector proponents in place by this fall.
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And the premier's pipeline concept would be linked with a huge carbon capture network in northern Alberta, proposed by the Pathways Alliance group of oilsands producers, also making the federal list.
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'I really like the optimism of the prime minister, recognizing how important this project is,' Jean said Monday on the sidelines of the premier's annual Stampede breakfast at McDougall Centre.
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'We've got indications that it's going to cost somewhere around $20 (billion) to $25 billion — that's not a big number, as long as the conditions are right.'
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On Saturday, Carney said it's likely an oil pipeline to the West Coast will make the list of nationally important developments on the major projects list, which is being assembled by the federal government.
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Under the newly passed Bill C-5, the federal government can accelerate necessary approvals for such initiatives.
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'Given the scale of the economic opportunity, the resources we have, the expertise we have, that it is highly, highly likely that we will have an oil pipeline that is a proposal for one of these projects of national interest,' the prime minister said in an interview with the Calgary Herald.
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She's speaking with pipeline proponents about what it would take to get them on board to build such a line, and with oilsands producers about proceeding with their proposed carbon capture project, which has been pegged at $16.5 billion.
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In recent weeks, Alberta's premier has talked about striking a grand bargain that would see federal approval of the Pathways' carbon capture network along with a major oil pipeline to the B.C. coast.
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National Observer
3 hours ago
- National Observer
Canada isn't losing the trade war — yet
Mark Carney told Canadians that he knew how to deal with Donald Trump. April's federal election results showed that voters wanted to believe him. But now, more than three months in and with the latest economic data starting to show signs of tariff-driven deterioration, Canadians are starting to wonder whether his handling of our relationship with America is going according to plan — and what that plan actually is. It's hardly surprising to see Conservative politicians, pundits and online influencers interpreting the developments coming out of Washington and Ottawa through the prism of their reflexive disdain for the Liberal government. There is an almost palpable glee in their mockery of the 'elbows up' catchphrase that helped him win the federal election in April. 'Explain to me about the elbows again,' CPC MP Michelle Rempel-Garner said on social media, citing a list of tariffs that are now higher than they were before Carney became Prime Minister in February (and before Trump officially launched his tariff war on the world on April 2). But it's not just Conservative partisans who are questioning Carney's ability to deliver. In a piece titled ' Let's Admit It: Donald Trump is Winning the Trade War with Canada,' Paul Wells argues that Carney's countermoves are so far coming up short. His efforts to remove interprovincial trade barriers are still largely symbolic, the president's love affair with tariffs continues apace and Carney's efforts to establish new or strengthened economic ties with other countries have yet to yield anything tangible. 'Replacing a lifetime of ever-closer integration with the vastly larger population next door, in favour of substantial new partnerships with distant lands, is really hard,' Wells writes. 'Actually, it's usually impossible.' That's the key word here: usually. As Carney has said, if Canada is going to survive the onslaught of economic and political idiocy coming from Trump's White House, it will have to ' do things that we haven't imagined before, at speeds we didn't think possible." That certainly helps explain the rushed passage of Bill C-5, which lays the groundwork for the acceleration of nation-building economic projects like pipelines and electricity grids. The hardest part there may still lie ahead, as Indigenous groups and local communities prepare to push back against the proposed barrage of building. But for all of his talk about the importance of moving quickly, the prime minister's approach to dealing with Trump seems to be all about doing the exact opposite. Carney, who has made no secret of his fondness for hockey, could be employing a strategy drawn directly from that sport: ragging the puck. As Rolling Stone's Guy Lawson wrote in a recent piece, 'the idea is simple: When you're ahead, don't give the other team any opportunity to win. Hold on to the puck, skate backward away from the play, making it seem like you're still playing the game when you're really playing the clock.' Carney has been criticized for not striking the sort of deals that Japan and Europe secured with Trump, ones that involve handshake agreements and loose pledges to purchase hundreds of billions worth of American exports. But it's worth remembering that these 'deals,' if you can even call them that, still create tariff structures that are higher than what Canadian exporters have to pay. That's because most of our exports still qualify for an exemption under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. As Scotiabank Chief Economist Derek Holt wrote in a recent report, 'because of the exemption that the administration verified last night and because we've long argued that most exports are already CUSMA-compliant, Canada's ETR [effective tariff rate] remains at 4.6 per cent on total goods and services exports to the world and 6.3 per cent on total goods and services exports to the US.' Those international 'deals,' meanwhile, already look like they're barely worth the napkins they must have been written on. Trump has already suggested that the promised investment coming from Europe amounted to a slush fund that he can personally direct as he pleases. 'The details are $600 billion to invest in anything I want,' he said. 'Anything. I can do anything I want with it.' Canada's Conservatives seem to want Mark Carney to rush into a deal — any deal — with Donald Trump. Why his strategy of "ragging the puck" might be about to pay dividends, and what will happen to his government (and our country) if it doesn't. Not quite. The European Union can't tell businesses where or how to invest, as European Commission trade spokesperson Olof Gill told Politico after the deal was announced. "What we have transmitted to the U.S. administration is aggregate intentions as regards energy spending and as regards investment in the U.S. economy by EU companies. Those commitments are in no way binding.' Indeed, as The Atlantic 's Rogé Karma noted, those figures were 'mostly rough numbers based on what European companies were already planning to invest and buy.' As Karma wrote, the math wasn't any better for Trump on the promised investments coming from South Korea and Japan. 'Shortly after the deal with Japan was announced, the country's top trade negotiator said that he anticipated only one or two per cent of the $550 billion fund would come in the form of direct investment; the rest would mostly consist of loans that would need to be repaid with interest. South Korean officials have made similar statements.' In other words: no Trump-controlled slush fund here either. The Japanese deal, meanwhile, has been subject to other competing interpretations of the text. As the New York Times reported, the agreed-upon 15 per cent tariff was issued in a way that it 'stacked' on top of existing ones, which meant the effective rate on things like Japanese beef went up from 26.4 per cent to 41.4 per cent. Japan's lead negotiator claims the Trump administration has agreed to correct this 'extremely regrettable' mistake, while local Japanese media is reporting that the Trump administration hasn't actually made any such concession. Some deal. In this environment, and with Canada's pre-existing protection under CUSMA, the best way to win this trade war is not to engage. That's especially true if the 'deals' being struck right now can be changed at the whim of a president who seems to have an endless supply of them. As the Globe and Mail 's European correspondent Eric Reguly noted, 'there is a lesson for Canada: Nothing short of a congressionally approved trade deal is worth the paper it is written on.' That's the prize that Carney has his eyes on right now, and it's where his efforts ought to be judged most carefully. It's why Canada sent senior ministers to Mexico recently in order to discuss deepening the economic partnership between the two countries — and, likely, some game theory for dealing with Trump. And it's why Carney continues to let Trump stick daggers into his own economy's back rather than trying to insert them himself. Here again, time might be Carney's biggest asset. The closer Trump's allies in Congress get to the midterm elections in 2026, the more his growing unpopularity (and that of his tariff war) will matter to him. The passage of time also gives Carney more room to further develop Canada's economic alternatives: new infrastructure projects and new trade deals with other partners. All of this amounts to meaningful leverage for Canada in the inevitable renegotiation of CUSMA. Mark Carney may yet lose the trade war with America and Donald Trump. There might not even be a way to win that sort of war, if Trump persists in deliberately tanking his country's economy and taking everyone else's with it. But for now, at least, Carney's strategy appears to be working. One thing is certain: his political fortunes, and maybe even those of the country he now governs, depend on it.
Global News
11 hours ago
- Global News
Police chiefs throw their weight behind Liberals' border and crime bill
Canada's 'top cops' are calling on Parliament to quickly pass the federal Liberal government's package of reforms to the Criminal Code, aimed at stiffening border security and expanding police powers. Police chiefs from across the country wrapped their four-day annual summit in Victoria on Tuesday, where they threw full support behind Prime Minister Mark Carney's proposed Bill C-2. Association of Chiefs of Police president Thomas Carrique told reporters that Canadian police are dealing with modern and international threats with 'tools and authorities built for a different era, guided by outdated and inadequate legislation.' 3:02 'Canada must be secure': New border bill gives new powers to CBSA officers, police, postal workers, Health Canada 'It's a public safety imperative. Geopolitical instability fuels transnational organized crime, whether it's human smuggling as well as illicit exportation and importation of drugs, precursors, and firearms,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'Organized crime groups are taking advantage of systematic blind spots, outdated statutes, and digital platforms to victimize Canadians. And when these gaps go unaddressed, it is police who are left to manage the consequences.' Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, proposes sweeping changes to Canada's immigration system, tightening timelines for migrants to make asylum applications and giving the government the power to suspend new applications and the processing of existing claims. The bill would also remove barriers that prevent police from searching mail to advance a criminal investigation, where authorized to do so under the law, and expand Canada Post's inspection authority to open mail. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The legislation would also make it easier for authorities to access information about internet subscribers, enable the health minister to more rapidly control precursor chemicals that can be used to produce illicit drugs and introduce new restrictions on large cash transactions. And ports of entry, transporters and warehouse operators will be required to allow Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials to conduct export inspections, matching existing requirements for import inspections. 1:34 Coalition of civil society organizations call for government to scrap Bill C-2 The Canadian Civil Liberties Association joined 39 other organizations in July calling on Ottawa to withdraw the legislation. Story continues below advertisement 'The Bill's privacy eroding elements include a power to demand revealing information without independent authorization from any service provider, could pave the way to expanded international information-sharing agreements, and will empower the government to significantly expand the amount of data police and security agencies can access by compelling digital services to redesign their services,' the coalition said. The coalition says the legislation would allow public officials including police, CSIS and others to demand information from companies without judicial oversight and little proof. 'The government argues this information is innocuous and only includes general details about the nature of the services a company is providing. 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Story continues below advertisement Police chiefs Tuesday also called on Ottawa to go further with changes to the bail system. The association said it wants to see the Criminal Code changed to allow for the prolonged detention of chronic offenders who repeatedly commit petty crimes, in addition to similar changes for violent offenders. Outgoing Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said officers are frustrated with repeatedly arresting the same people only to see them released on conditions to offend again while on bail. 'What we're really asking for here is the criminal justice system needs to be strengthened, there must be consequences and a deterrence for those that are carrying out criminal activity every single day,' he said. 'And that's the confidence that we want to give to every citizen, and they deserve that.' In that message, the chiefs have added their voices to a growing chorus that includes B.C.'s own premier and attorney general, along with provincial and federal opposition politicians and numerous mayors. The earliest changes to the Criminal Code could come is the fall legislative sitting.
Calgary Herald
12 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Canadian canola farmers brace for losses as China announces 75% tariff
China is the biggest importer of Canadian canola, so Canadian farmers will have to look for alternative markets. Photo by The Canadian Press 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 Calgary Herald 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 Calgary Herald 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 China will hit Canadian canola with a 75.8 per cent tariff starting Aug. 14, sending benchmark futures tumbling four per cent to their lowest level since April. The Chinese ministry of commerce said Canadian canola imports constitute dumping, and so it decided to slap a preliminary tariff on the Canadian crop. Colin Carter, an agricultural economist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, said this tariff from China was expected. 'This decision by China is a preliminary announcement and it's fully compliant with World Trade Organization laws,' he said. 'Unlike the tariffs that President Donald Trump is announcing, this is actually rooted in international trade law.' Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Rick White, chief executive of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), said the tariff has farmers worried. 'It's a new risk that they (farmers) cannot manage in terms of one of our biggest export markets and I just don't think, at that price, any seed will be exported to China in the near future until this is dealt with,' he said. The tariff is expected to have a significant impact on the price of canola, with farmers set to face losses on unsold crops. Jerry Klassen, a commodities trader and market analyst, expects a steep decline in canola prices. 'The total effect of this tariff, I would estimate it to be in the range of $150 to $200 a tonne for canola,' he said. 'If a farmer has a couple thousand tonnes, it adds up pretty quickly for them.' China is the biggest importer of Canadian canola, so Canadian farmers will have to look for alternative markets for their canola with the Chinese market becoming a harder destination. 'China was buying between four and five million tonnes of Canadian canola per year,' Klassen said. 'That's the largest market for canola, and you cannot find other destinations to absorb that type of volume very quickly.' White, however, said opportunities exist for canola within Canada's borders. 'The biggest opportunity we have here is within our own borders, and that's the renewable diesel market,' he said. 'We are really pressing our Canadian government to get the clean fuel regulations right so that we can create a new industrial market for canola seed.' Klassen expects an immediate response from the Canadian government to this tariff and hopes a resolution can be found.
