Premier Danielle Smith said Friday she hopes the memorandum of understanding between Alberta and the federal government can be completed soon because Albertans need to see that “Canada can work.”
Smith, who is in Ottawa, will be speaking to the media at 12:30 p.m. MT/2:30 p.m ET. (That will be livestreamed at the top of this post.)
It comes as organizers behind a petition calling for a referendum on Alberta separation said they turned in more than 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta earlier this week.
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.
A decision in that case is expected soon.
On Friday afternoon in Ottawa, the Alberta premier is delivering a keynote speech at a Conservative think tank and networking conference.
The Canada Strong and Free Network event will also feature a fireside chat from Smith, along with a fireside chat with former premier Jason Kenney.
Before the conference events, Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney met Friday morning.
Both said progress has been made on the agreement to work together on major projects and make changes to environmental regulations.
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“I know industry is getting a bit impatient, Albertans are getting a little bit impatient,” Smith said before her private meeting with Carney.
“And if we’re 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.”
Neither leader referred in their public remarks to the separatist push in Alberta or mentioned pipelines, though Smith has insisted a new pipeline must be built.
Carney said he and Smith have made progress since the initial federal-provincial co-operation agreement was signed in November, citing a deal on methane emissions, measures for enhanced oil recovery and plans to streamline project approvals.
The pact between the two governments outlined several conditions that need to be met before a new bitumen pipeline can be approved, including requirements for carbon capture and storage.
Carney told The Canadian Press last week that a new pipeline is now “more probable than possible,” in part because global energy markets have been upended by the war in Iran.
“We’re working to make Canada work better for Albertans and for all Canadians. And when Canada works well, it’s good for the world,” Carney said Friday.
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.
— More to come…
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