Danielle Smith calls on Carney to speed up major project approvals

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling on Ottawa to further speed up its approval process for major projects, saying she wants to see applications approved within six months.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Major Projects Office, established last year, currently aims to complete regulatory reviews within two years.

Smith says in a letter to Carney that two years is too long, considering the recent U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to ramp up oil production in the South American country.

Smith says renewed production in Venezuela would see more crude bound for U.S. refineries and create further competition for Canadian oil.

The premier previously said Maduro’s capture underscores the need for new pipelines and now wants Carney to approve a new pipeline to the West Coast by fall.

The Alberta government said it plans to submit an application for a pipeline to the projects office this summer, though neither a route nor a private-sector proponent has been determined.

— More to come…