Carney has 'nation-building projects' on his mind as he meets with premiers in Saskatoon
CBC
Prime Minister Mark Carney's main focus will be on project development as he sits down with provincial and territorial premiers this week.
First ministers are gathering in Saskatoon Monday for the first time since the April 28 federal election.
Carney told CBC's Power & Politics in an exclusive interview last week that "major projects" will be his main agenda item for Monday's meeting.
"We need to move on these nation-building projects. So projects that bring Canada together, projects that diversify our economy, projects that help us export to new markets and really move this economy forward," Carney told host David Cochrane.
"The ask of provinces, the ask of the private sector is: Which projects do you have that reach those criteria? What we're going to do is fast-track the approval, truly fast-track the approval, of those projects."
Project approval was a significant part of last week's throne speech read by King Charles. The speech promised to "unleash a new era of growth" by creating a federal project review office and reducing regulatory reviews "from five years to two."
The Liberals are aiming to introduce legislation this month that would introduce "up-front regulatory approvals" to major projects in the national interest, according to a federal document CBC News obtained.
A number of provinces have already begun floating ideas for major economic projects that they'd like to see happen.
Western premiers met last month to discuss a range of issues that included energy, Arctic security and economic corridors.
Specifically, the premiers called for Carney's "full support for the development of an economic corridor connecting ports on the northwest coast and Hudson's Bay."
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew wrote to Carney shortly after the election, voicing his support for a similar economic corridor that includes Manitoba's Port of Churchill. He said such a corridor could help western provinces get resources to international markets.
"If we sit around talking about politics, it's going to be like the family dinner table. We're always going to be arguing. But if we get down to work and we choose some economic projects to build the country — that's how we bring people together," Kinew said in a separate interview on Power & Politics last week.
"When we get together for our formal first ministers' meeting with the prime minister, I think you're going to see a unity of purpose."
Like Kinew, Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote to Carney laying out his ideas for major projects that he would like to see developed, including critical mineral deposits in Ontario's Ring of Fire. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also sent a list of priorities to the prime minister that included the expansion of pipeline projects.
A Brampton lawyer allegedly connected to fugitive Ryan Wedding was granted bail Tuesday morning by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Rankin Inlet hamlet councillors recently passed a motion that has had them avoid drinking alcohol for the 12 days leading up to Christmas, with the goal of setting a positive example for the community.
Jason Jacques says he learned a lot about the importance of choosing his words carefully in his first few months as the interim parliamentary budget officer (PBO).
Durham police say a man is dead after suffering multiple stab wounds in Oshawa Tuesday morning.
An internal review of technical outages that caused significant delays at airports and international land borders this fall has exposed critical flaws with the Canada Border Services Agency's IT services.
Two people are in life-threatening condition after being pulled from a house fire in Scarborough Tuesday morning, according to Toronto Fire Services.
Whenever the door opens at the British Grenadier Bookshop, proprietor Steve Douglas doesn’t know who is going to walk through.
A northeastern Ontario potato farmer says he’s shipping more bags of potatoes to southern Ontario to make up for waning demand.
Halifax’s registry of rental properties is now available to the public online, showing what HRM staff believe are the “bulk” of rentals in the city.
A New Brunswick tenant says he’s being pushed out of his rented bungalow as retribution for complaining about his landlord, but his landlord says she’s the victim of an unfair tenancy tribunal ruling that is preventing her from using the unit to house family.
Snow and freezing rain could affect morning commutes on Tuesday, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.
Daniel Jolivet, 68, had his first taste of freedom this weekend after spending the last 33 years behind bars.
Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.