Danielle Smith supportive of new major projects, says pipeline negotiation ongoing

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's on board with Prime Minister Mark Carney's second batch of key major projects picked out for potential fast-track approval.

Carney announced Thursday that seven additional major energy and infrastructure projects were being referred to his government's major projects office, after announcing an initial list of five back in September.

The second list includes a nickel mine in northern Ontario, a hydroelectric project in Iqaluit, and a transmission line and an LNG project that are both in northwest British Columbia. Two other mineral mines, located in Quebec and New Brunswick, were also chosen.

Not on the list was a bitumen pipeline that Smith and her government have been advocating for, but she said Thursday that negotiations with Ottawa on the subject are ongoing.

"Currently, we are working on an agreement with the federal government that includes the removal, carve out or overhaul of several damaging laws chasing away private investment in our energy sector, and an agreement to work toward ultimate approval of a bitumen pipeline to Asian markets," Smith said in a statement.

She said talks are coming down to the wire and she expects an answer in the coming days on whether Carney's government will ultimately support Alberta's energy goals or stick to laws and regulations put in place under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Smith has said that she wanted an agreement in place before this weekend's Canadian Football League Grey Cup showdown, but Carney told reporters Thursday that there are still items to be ironed out "over the coming weeks" despite the productive "meeting of minds" that's been taking place.

"This is a very important process for the province, for the country," Carney said.

"We want to make sure we're doing it right."

When asked what he was calling on Smith to do on her side of any potential deal, Carney said he wants to see Alberta make the necessary investments to put the province and its oil and gas industry "in a position for the energy future."

"The future of energy, clean and conventional, is low risk, ... it's low cost and it's low carbon," he said.

Carney said he also wants to see the emissions intensity of Alberta's marquee industry reduced, and noted that it was already trending in that direction.

He also said he wanted Alberta's carbon market and regulation to be more effective, though he didn't provide details.

"That's an important element for future investment certainty going forward," Carney said.