{"id":657451,"date":"2026-05-09T04:31:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/657451\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T04:31:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:31:15","slug":"danielle-smith-sees-progress-on-federal-pipeline-deal-after-meeting-with-carney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/657451\/","title":{"rendered":"Danielle Smith sees progress on federal pipeline deal after meeting with Carney"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith<\/a> said Friday she was feeling far more confident about the prospects for a new pipeline<\/a> following a meeting in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis morning I said \u2018if\u2019 a deal gets signed, and afterwards I said \u2018when\u2019 a deal gets signed,\u201d Smith told reporters in Ottawa a few hours after her discussion with the prime minister.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that is an indication of my improved level of confidence after talking through some of the areas that we found that were of disagreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith said this progress comes at a crucial time \u2014 as activists in her province push for a referendum on separation \u2014 and it could demonstrate to Albertans that \u201cCanada can work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organizers behind a petition calling for a referendum said they turned over more than 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta earlier this week.<\/p>\n

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A court order is blocking the verification of those signatures while a judge considers a legal challenge mounted by a group of Alberta First Nations which argues the petition process violates treaty rights.<\/p>\n

A decision in that case is expected soon.<\/p>\n

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In the meantime, Alberta and Ottawa are negotiating an energy and environment pact in a bid to overcome some long-standing disagreements between the two governments about oil and gas production and climate regulations.<\/p>\n

During a photo-op before their meeting, both Smith and Carney said Friday that progress had been made on the agreement, which outlines several conditions that need to be met before a new bitumen pipeline can be approved, including requirements for carbon capture and storage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know industry is getting a bit impatient, Albertans are getting a little bit impatient. And if we\u2019re going to move forward with that MOU, I hope it happens in the next number of days, because I think in Alberta there does need to be a demonstration that Canada can work,\u201d Smith said before her private meeting with Carney.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018I hope we can get to the finish line\u2019: Smith nudges Carney for progress on Canada-Alberta MOU\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Neither leader directly referred in their public remarks to the separatist push in Alberta or mentioned pipelines, though Smith has insisted a new pipeline must be built.<\/p>\n

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Carney told The Canadian Press last week that a new pipeline is now \u201cmore probable than possible,\u201d in part because global energy markets have been upended by the war in Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working to make Canada work better for Albertans and for all Canadians. And when Canada works well, it\u2019s good for the world,\u201d Carney said Friday.<\/p>\n

In the face of global trade shifts, Premier @ABDanielleSmith<\/a> and I are working to build a stronger, more independent, and more sustainable economy. We met in Ottawa today to discuss how we can unlock the full potential of Alberta\u2019s resources, lower emissions, and create good\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/FPSzJXGWCc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) May 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Smith said once a deal is signed, she can be more open about the gaps that still exist between the two levels of government in the negotiations.<\/p>\n

She said one outstanding issue is the timeline for a $130 per tonne industrial carbon price.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s always been really at the heart of the discussions, and so I think we had a meeting of the minds today on a few of the outstanding issues. And I hope to have something more firm to announce very soon,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

The original deadline to complete the conditions laid out in the memorandum of understanding was April 1. That deadline has since been moved to July 1.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCarney and Smith sign pipeline MOU\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Any West Coast pipeline has to go through British Columbia, where Premier David Eby is looking for Ottawa\u2019s support for liquefied natural gas projects he says already have private sector backing.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI understand the pipeline project is of critical importance to Premier Smith, but there is still no route, there is still no proponent, there is no progress on this from when it was first announced about two years ago,\u201d Eby said at a press conference in Langley, B.C.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am hopeful that the prime minister and I find a path to ensure that British Columbia\u2019s projects get the same level of attention from Ottawa.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Shortly after Smith and Carney met, the federal government published two discussion papers to consult on a proposal that would give authority to assess proposals for new interprovincial pipelines and transmission lines to the Canada Energy Regulator, rather than the Impact Assessment Agency.<\/p>\n

The news was met with cautious optimism by some in the oil and gas sector, and with anger and alarm by environmental groups.<\/p>\n

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Smith said her government is looking at five potential pipeline routes for its submission to the Major Projects Office and major oil companies have been acting as advisers throughout the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur anticipation would be that yes, once it is submitted, once there\u2019s a positive Indication that will be able to move ahead, that we will have significant private sector proponents behind it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t&copy 2026 The Canadian Press\t<\/p>\n