Carney plans faster energy infrastructure development in Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to accelerate the development of new energy infrastructure in Canada. He will announce his strategy in a meeting with provincial and territorial leaders on Friday. This comes as he wraps up his first week in office and prepares for an upcoming election. Carney emphasized the need for faster processes on energy projects like pipelines. He noted that Canada needs to adapt quickly due to current global issues, including a trade war with the United States. He aims to create new tools to support this effort and will discuss these plans with provincial leaders. Before the meeting, Carney spoke with Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith. She is skeptical about his approach and expressed that Alberta should not feel pressured by the federal government. Smith provided a list of demands that she believes must be addressed to prevent a national unity crisis. Her demands include better access for Alberta to build pipelines and a halt to proposed greenhouse gas emission caps that she argues would hinder resource production. Carney inherited a commitment to cap emissions from oil and gas, which was part of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's agenda. He mentioned that while the emission cap's details are still under discussion, the goal is to reduce emissions effectively. Since becoming Prime Minister, Carney has promised faster reviews of natural resource projects. He aims to reduce the review period from five years to two years for projects in the national interest. Additionally, he intends to streamline the application process for major infrastructure and natural resource projects. In a housing announcement in Edmonton, Carney revealed plans to remove the GST on new homes priced under $1 million for first-time buyers. This policy aligns with previous promises made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre, meanwhile, is campaigning on a broader platform that includes fast-tracking permits for resource projects and creating pre-approved zones for major initiatives. He met with the Premier of Quebec, who raised concerns about trade deals and immigration policies. In the NDP, Leader Jagmeet Singh is preparing for the election, claiming that his party has more candidates ready than the Liberals. However, polls indicate that Singh's support lags behind both the Liberals and Conservatives. Overall, the political landscape is heating up as parties prepare for the election, each pushing their agendas on key issues affecting Canadians.