Premier Danielle Smith has announced the deadline for her "nine bad laws" ultimatum will be extended until the end of the month.She had previously given the feds until the Grey Cup — Sunday — to resolve the nine federal laws that have been impinging on Alberta's oil and gas sector. In response to a question from the Western Standard, Smith says she will now give the feds until the end of the month."We're hopeful that in the next few days, we'll be able to announce that we've come to a understanding," stated Smith. "Not only does the need remain for a mention of a pipeline to Asian markets, but the Pathways Project and addressing substantially, the nine battles to Imperial investment climate."."We've been going back and forth in some detail over many hours over the last couple of weeks, but I would say that we just need to give a few more days to iron out a few more details."Smith even alluded to the fact her government might be pushing Prime Minister Mark Carney a bit harder on the matter:"It has to be pretty clear to him [Prime Minister Carney] that there's an urgency to come to terms with these issues.""We know that there are a number of different projects, whether they're VIP centres or whether it be expansions that have been announced for existing pipelines and oil-sands projects.""Maybe it's uncertainty about what the future will look like."."I think in anticipation of that, we're beginning to see the kind of projects that the private sector would put on the table, get some certainty. And so I would say I was hoping for a breakthrough, but it takes just a few more days."So far, Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne has not ruled out the possibility of a new pipeline in British Columbia."We'll see when there’s something in front of the Major Projects Office," stated Champagne on Wednesday."The role of the Major Projects Office was really to look at the role of these projects of national interest to try to see what they are, and how you make sure you have not only the proponents, but the key actors around that to support a project like that."."Let's see when it comes, and then the Major Projects Office and obviously the government will have formed a view about that," he finished.Last month October, Smith announced her government would act as the initial proponent of a new heavy oil pipeline to northwest British Columbia. She had stated her wish to submit an application for the pipeline to the new federal Major Projects Office by May 2026.Smith has demanded the feds repeal what she calls nine “bad laws,” including Bill C-69, the oil-and-gas emissions cap, the Clean Electricity Regulations, the West Coast tanker ban, the industrial carbon tax regime, and the electric-vehicle sales mandate.
