Latest news with #SovereigntyAct
07-08-2025
- Politics
Poilievre says Carney's moving in the 'wrong direction,' pledges to 'legalize' pipelines
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Mark Carney's development agenda is stalled — and he's promising to legalize pipelines through new legislation to speed things up. Poilievre said his party's Canadian Sovereignty Act, if passed, would ensure two pipelines, a new LNG project and a road to Ontario's Ring of Fire will have begun construction by March 14 — the one-year anniversary of Carney becoming prime minister. Not a single major pipeline or natural gas facility, a new one, has been identified for approval by the Carney government and we're going in the exact wrong direction, Poilievre said in Calgary Thursday. We need to get building now and that's why the Conservative proposal for a Sovereignty Act will take action immediately, he added. Carney is meeting with Indigenous leaders (new window) over the summer and has said his government's major projects office (new window) will be open by Labour Day. In order for Poilievre to be in the House of Commons in the fall to introduce the bill, he will first have to win his byelection in Alberta's riding of Battle River-Crowfoot on Aug. 18. WATCH | Poilievre on his Aug. 18 byelection: The proposed legislation repackages many Conservative campaign promises. They include: repealing Bill C-69, what former Alberta premier Jason Kenney dubbed the no more pipelines act ; scrapping the West Coast oil tanker ban; killing the industrial carbon tax; eliminating the electric vehicle mandate and reversing the single-use plastics ban (new window) . Poilievre said the Sovereignty Act would also include his campaign promise to exempt people from capital gains tax when they reinvest the proceeds of an investment in a Canadian company. The Conservative leader said that after his party introduces the legislation it will be willing to work with all parties in the House to amend and get it passed. I am calling on Prime Minister Carney to do what he promised, build at a scale we haven't seen in generations and work with Conservatives to restore Canada's sovereignty in the face of American threats, Poilievre said in a statement. The chicken and the egg In recent weeks, B.C. Premier David Eby has said that he is not opposed to a new pipeline in his province but that the issue was moot for the moment because there are no private companies that have proposed building one. Poilievre was asked how the Sovereignty Act, if passed, will be able to approve projects when they are not even at the proposal stage yet. The opponents of pipelines are using this very cleverly, he said. "They're saying: 'well we can't change the rules to allow a pipeline, because there's no pipeline proposed.' That's because the rules don't allow for pipelines to get built… So let's get rid of this chicken and egg distraction that the Liberals have imposed. A national energy corridor Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, along with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, announced their own energy infrastructure initiative Thursday. They issued a call for proposals (new window) to study how to best establish a new economic and energy corridor in Canada. A statement explained that the proposed corridor would bring western Canadian oil and gas to refineries in southern Ontario, as well as to a new deep-sea port on the coast of James Bay. Canada can no longer rely on energy infrastructure that lies outside of our borders and can be shut down at a moment's notice by another country, said Ford in a statement. Many of Canada's oil and gas pipelines pass through the U.S. (new window) At the first ministers' meeting in Huntsville, Ont., last month Ford, Smith and Moe said Canada needs to replace Line 5 — the more than 1,000-kilometre-long pipeline carrying 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily across Wisconsin and Michigan to refineries in Sarnia, Ont. It's time for us to build cross-Canada infrastructure within our borders so we can protect our energy security, find new markets for Canadian energy and resources and create new jobs and opportunities for Canadian workers, Ford said. Peter Zimonjic (new window) · CBC News · Senior writer Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News who reports for digital, radio and television. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Vintage.
CTV News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Poilievre announces Sovereignty Act that will be tabled this fall
Poilievre announces Sovereignty Act that will be tabled this fall Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre takes aim at Prime Minister Carney and the Liberal government while detailing a plan to decrease U.S. reliance.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Alberta separatism threats spur First Nation to revive lawsuit against Sovereignty Act
A First Nation whose land spans the Alberta-Saskatchewan border says Alberta's "growing separatist agenda" has spurred them to revive a more than two year-old lawsuit against the province. The lawsuit was originally filed with the Court of King's Bench less than two weeks after the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act was passed in December 2022, but was on hold until Wednesday, say Onion Lake Cree Nation lawyers. "Our decision to advance our litigation on the Alberta Sovereignty Act is in direct response to the ongoing separatist talks happening," said Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Henry Lewis at a news conference in Edmonton Thursday. "Our message to Premier Smith is that these are treaty lands. They are not yours to take, and we're prepared to go to court to defend our constitutionally protected rights under treaty." The lawsuit claims the Sovereignty Act undermines and infringes upon Onion Lake Cree Nation's constitutional treaty rights, and seeks temporary and permanent injunctions that the act can not be held against the First Nation or its people. The First Nation said the law and several bills currently in the legislature fuel Alberta separatism, among them Bill 54 which would make it easier for citizens to initiate referendums on issues including separation from Canada. "Premier Smith's Sovereignty Act combined with many of the significant changes with two other laws sends a clear signal that her government is willing to manipulate laws, intimidate First Nations and control public opinion to push the separatist agenda," said Lewis. "The Sovereignty Act has always been about undermining federal authority and asserting provincial control. This goes against our treaty relationship with the Crown." The Alberta premier's office did not respond to a request for comment by time of publishing. Bill 54, the Election Statutes Amendment Act, has sparked resistance from many Indigenous leaders in the province since it was tabled two weeks ago. The bill would reduce the number of signatures required to trigger a referendum and extend the signature collection period to 90 days from 60. On Wednesday, the province made changes to Bill 54, adding a clause that no separation referendum question could threaten the existing treaty rights of Indigenous people in Alberta. Lewis said it's something he's heard before during his years of negotiating agreements with governments. "That clause is always entered, but guess what? They don't honour it," Lewis said. "Pure and simple, it's nothing…. It doesn't mean nothing to me." Lawyers for Onion Lake Cree Nation said the province has until June 6 to file a statement of defence against their lawsuit. The First Nation launched a similar lawsuit against Saskatchewan in April 2023, arguing the province's Saskatchewan First Act also violates treaty rights.
Calgary Herald
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'No right talking the way she is': Alberta First Nations chiefs united after emergency meeting denouncing separation talks
Article content Leaders of First Nations across Alberta slammed Premier Danielle Smith for not putting talks of a separation referendum to rest and emphasized their opposition to Bill 54, which would lower the threshold for citizen initiatives. Article content Article content First Nations chiefs from Treaty No. 6, 7 and 8 gathered in Edmonton for an emergency meeting, and all stood firm on denouncing any movement towards a referendum on separation. Chiefs of the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nation said they cancelled a meeting scheduled with Smith for Tuesday and will remain that way until she 'changes her tone.' Article content Article content Chief Kelsey Jacko of Cold Lake First Nations said for the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 to meet with Smith, she needs to start thinking about First Nations and 'lift my people out of poverty.' Article content Article content 'If you want true reconciliation, give us a share of resources. Our water is suffering. Our animals are suffering out there. It's frustrating when everybody thinks about economics, and then where we're left out of it,' Jacko said. Article content 'She has no right talking the way she is because we are treaty people.' Article content At the emergency meeting, Treaty chiefs addressed concerns over Bill 54 and the Sovereignty Act, prompting First Nations to band together and emphasize their historical and ongoing presence on the land. Article content Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro of the Mikisew Cree First Nation who penned a cease and desist letter in late April to Smith accusing her of stoking separatist movement, threw Bill 54 in the air and said 'you're garbage' to the papers. Article content At an earlier press conference on Tuesday, Smith said the province was a 'number of steps' away from a referendum on separation and said the legislation is supposed to ensure the signature threshold for citizen-initiated referendums is 'reasonable.' Article content Article content 'You can't have a referendum on things that are enshrined in our various constitutional conventions and laws, and court decisions. So I'll wait and see what sort of referendum questions come forward, but my expectation would be that those (Treaty rights) would be honoured,' Smith said. Article content Article content Chief Troy Knowlton of Piikani Nation said any talk of separation is 'really insanity' and said he spoke to Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson on Monday and told him the rhetoric being promoted by the province was 'taken right out of President Trump's playbook.' Article content 'The rhetoric and insanity of separation here in Alberta has united First Nations (not just) on this land, but all across Canada. So I want to thank you, Danielle Smith, for Bill 54, because today we stand united. We're not going anywhere and if you feel that you have problems with First Nations you could leave,' Knowlton said. Article content Alberta NDP Indigenous Relations critic Brooks Arcand-Paul put forward a motion in the legislature on Tuesday to respect Treaty rights and called on Smith to denounce separation. The motion did not receive unanimous consent.
Canada Standard
06-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Alberta Court Case Will Drive Off Investment, Add Uncertainty to Power Market, Pembina Institute Warns
The Alberta government is adding more uncertainty to the province's electricity market and driving away investment in a modernized system by launching a constitutional challenge to Ottawa's Clean Electricity Regulations, the Pembina Institute warned in a statement last week. When the former Trudeau government published the final regulations late last year, the revised version postponed the deadline to fully decarbonize Canada's power grids from 2035 to 2050, scaled back the power sector's mid-century emissions reduction target from 342 to 181 million tonnes, offered provinces greater flexibility to run back-up gas plants, and earmarked more than C$60 billion in financial support to expand the clean electricity system. But at a news conference last Thursday announcing the court action, Premier Danielle Smith still maintained the regulations will harm the affordability and reliability of Alberta's electricity grid, which is currently powered largely by natural gas. Smith, who invoked her controversial Sovereignty Act for the first time in 2023 against an earlier draft of the regulations, said Ottawa's goals are too far-fetched and a breach of provincial jurisdiction, The Canadian Press reports. "This is about protecting the lives and livelihoods of Albertans," Smith said, saying the regulations would increase electricity costs by more than 30%. "We will not accept the reckless and dangerous policies-policies that will harm our economy, stifle our energy industry, jeopardize the reliability of our electricity grid, and raise electricity prices for Albertans." But in a statement Thursday, the Pembina Institute's senior electricity analyst Jason Wang said Smith's objections "are based on unpublished analysis from the Alberta Electric System Operator and are unchanged from the concerns that Alberta repeatedly raised in 2023 and 2024 during engagement with the Government of Canada." Although the final version of the Clean Electricity Regulations addressed the province's specific issues with the draft rules, "Alberta continues to cite these same concerns, as if no such collaboration between it and the federal government ever took place." View our latest digests Wang added that the court action puts Alberta out of step with an accelerating shift away from fossil-fuelled electricity. "At a time when other governments across this country and across the world are attracting investment in low-cost, secure, clean power, and modernizing their electricity grids to be fit for the needs of the next century, Alberta is introducing yet more uncertainty to its electricity market," he said. "This will further undermine investment confidence at the worst possible time." On Thursday, Smith maintained the deep concessions in the final regulations mean little, CP writes, because Ottawa is still overstepping. "It violates the Constitution, and we're going to argue that vigorously in court," she said. Abandoning the regulations was one of the nine demands Smith laid out for the next federal government in advance of last Monday's election. Speaking just three days after the vote, Smith said she'd received no indication that the new government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney will take action on the file. "It depends very much on whether we have pragmatic Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney as our prime minister, or whether we have environmental extremist, keep it in the ground, phase out fossil fuels... Mark Carney as prime minister," she said. "I don't know the answer to that yet." Carney's office did not respond to a request for comment. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi told reporters that Smith seems more concerned about fighting with Ottawa than striking a deal beneficial for both levels of government. "Three days in with no minister in place, no one to fight against, she launches this lawsuit," Nenshi said, referring to how Carney has yet to appoint a new cabinet. "If she sat down with the prime minister and made a deal, we would have proper regulations that would bring certainty for investment to Alberta within the next month. Instead, she's going to take years." Nenshi agreed the federal regulations would be punishing for Alberta, but said Smith's insistence on taking Ottawa to court rather than negotiating will only make that punishment worse. "We heard (Carney) talk about Canada as a clean and conventional energy superpower," Nenshi said. "So rather than insulting him and saying, 'You're lying,' why not give him an opportunity to prove that he wasn't lying?" On Monday, Smith said she would convene and chair a "sovereignty panel" to consider "how the province can protect itself from perceived economic incursions from the federal Liberal government," CBC reports. The most popular proposals will be put to a referendum in 2026. "The world looks at us like we've lost our minds," she said. "We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth, and yet we landlock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch." While Smith blamed that state of affairs on "unbearable" attacks by the federal government, the historical record tells a rather different story. In a report issued in March, the Pembina Institute's Jason Wang said Alberta is right to focus on the affordability and reliability of its power grid, but is "swimming against the tide by focusing on gas to run its grid long into the future." That strategy "erodes its attractiveness as an investment destination-given that we know demand for low-cost, clean power is going to keep growing as new power-hungry industries, like data centres, look for places to set up business." In his statement Thursday, Wang said the Alberta government has spent the last two years stifling the province's renewable energy sector "under repeated layers of regulatory and policy uncertainty," while failing to fully draw on "the range of tools at its disposal to build a grid fit for the future-such as renewables, interties, transmission, and demand-side measures; exactly the technologies that the CER guides investment towards." Rather than presenting "any alternate plan for its future electricity system," he added, "the province is claiming that a continuation of the status quo gas-fired power is the only solution to reliability and affordability. In the meantime, Alberta's communities are missing out on billions of dollars of investment and tax revenues that clean electricity projects would bring." This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025. Source: The Energy Mix
