SASKATOON — Canada’s First Ministers will be meeting together in Saskatoon on Monday, with nation-building projects expected to dominate discussion.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Premiers will be holding their First Ministers Meeting on Monday with a full agenda of items expected to be discussed. The meeting was set up soon after the April 28 election, when Premier Scott Moe formally invited Carney to come to Saskatchewan.
The meeting comes amid a concerning wildfire situation in Saskatchewan and neighbouring provinces, with several communities evacuated. It also comes amid growing tensions about national unity, with rising talk about possible separatism referendums in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.
At this point, the early indication is that infrastructure and how to get nation-building projects built across the country will be the prime topic of the meeting. Already, there is a report in the Globe and Mail suggesting Carney will present Premiers with details of potential federal legislation to fast-track major nation-building projects.
At a news conference at the end of the last legislative session, Premier Moe indicated he thought getting major projects built would be the major topic in Saskatoon.
“I think a significant focus of that meeting is how do we move forward with significant projects,” said Moe. “In an environment where you have Bill C-69, in an environment where you have the oil emissions cap, in an environment where you have the clean electricity regulations, how are we going to find our way through those policy initiatives that we may change collaboratively over time? How do we get big projects approved and get them approved quickly? Whatever that might be. How do we actually take significant steps in the short term to ensure that we're working together to achieve what the Prime Minister's words were and goal and aspiration is to make Canada an energy superpower?”
Moe made it known he believed Saskatchewan could be part of that discussion, not just in oil and gas but also in the uranium mining sector as well as lithium and helium.
“In order for that to happen, we have to have that solid regulatory environment and I think that will be the focus of that discussion is how do we ensure that there's a regulatory environment for new uranium mines to be approved and built, for new helium investments to land here in Saskatchewan, lithium investments to land here in Saskatchewan, and to — in fairness — expand the certainty of the investment environment in the oil and gas industry. And we do have opportunities to grow our oil production in this province where, in numerous oil fields that we have which operate a little bit differently.
“So I think that's going to be the focus of the discussion. How do we move forward in the short term, given that these regulations and pieces of legislation are in place and getting those projects to yes. And secondarily then, how do we set up a stronger, more robust regulatory environment in Canada where investments in projects can actually happen because they have the certainty that they will come from exploration through development into actual production.”
