Carney signals support for Alberta pipeline but says private partner is still essential

CALGARY — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Alberta's long-awaited proposal for a new West Coast oil pipeline remains on track for submission this week, but stressed the project will ultimately require private-sector backing before it can proceed.Speaking to reporters in Nunavut on Tuesday, the prime minister confirmed Alberta is set to submit the plan for the proposed one-million-barrel-per-day pipeline on Wednesday to the Major Projects Office (MPO), but cautioned that federal approval remains months away.“It’s for Alberta to submit a proposal on or around July 1. That's tracking well from their perspective,” Carney said. “But then there's a process that goes on and takes a few months until October before a decision is made.”When asked if he had seen the proposal he said he was" well up to speed" on the plan but stopped short of saying if he knew any of the key details.He stated that the review will involve stakeholder consultations and assessments through the MPO before any decision is made on whether the project should receive national-interest designation.The prime minister also emphasized that the proposed pipeline remains tied to other elements of the federal-provincial agreement, including discussions surrounding the Pathways Alliance carbon capture project and reforms to carbon markets.“It's always been linked,” Carney said..Smith government to submit West Coast pipeline proposal without private-sector proponent.“All aspects of what is now an implementation agreement are linked.”When asked about reports Alberta may proceed without a private-sector backer in place, Carney stressed that a private proponent still remains a key requirement.“First of all, there must be a private proponent that is part of the implementation agreement with Alberta,” he said.“I'm aware of that development, and I've had a number of conversations with the premier.”His comments come as the prime minister is drawing a direct contrast between his government’s current energy strategy and that of both former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his father Pierre’s National Energy Program (NEP), arguing Ottawa must now work with Alberta rather than against it.In a video address posted to his official YouTube account on Tuesday discussing his government’s plan to turn Canada into an energy superpower, Carney reflected on growing up in Edmonton in the early 1980s when Trudeau Sr. introduced the NEP, which still remains hugely unpopular in Alberta to this day.“I remember how Ottawa made Albertans feel like our resources weren't our own,” Carney said.“And then more recently, we were made to feel that our energy contributions were running against the tides of history. What should have brought us together began to divide us, contributing to a half century of politics that have too often pulled us apart.”He added that during his time as Canada’s leader, he has tried to help put “those divisions in the past.”“From my perspective, there is no more important goal than a strong, united country working together in our common interests,” he said.

Carney signals support for Alberta pipeline but says private partner is still essential

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