Liberal Leader Mark Carney has announced plans to fast-track energy infrastructure projects in Western Canada, closely mirroring a similar pledge made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre earlier this week. The move signals a growing political consensus on the need to simplify Canada’s notoriously sluggish project approval process.
Speaking in Calgary, Carney said a re-elected Liberal government would sign agreements within six months with provinces and Indigenous governments to streamline project assessments. The new framework would allow recognition of provincial and Indigenous reviews in place of duplicative federal ones, expediting both conventional and clean energy developments.
“Under my leadership, it’s time to build — and we will build big time,” said Carney. “We’ll act decisively to reduce our dependence on the U.S. and become an energy superpower on our own terms.”
Carney’s announcement follows Poilievre’s campaign promise in Terrace, B.C., where the Conservative leader proposed a “one project, one review” policy with a single window for applications and environmental assessments. Both leaders positioned the commitments as responses to U.S. President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs, which have rattled Canadian industries.
While Carney highlighted clean energy as a long-term opportunity, he affirmed that conventional energy — including oil and gas — would remain part of Canada’s export strategy. “It needs to be lower carbon, but we’re not walking away from it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Poilievre pivoted to public safety during a stop in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he promoted his “three-strikes” crime policy. The proposal includes 10-year mandatory minimums for repeat serious offenders and denies access to bail, probation, or parole. Poilievre insisted the measures are constitutional, though critics and legal experts have raised concerns about potential Charter violations.
Carney pushed back, rejecting the one-size-fits-all approach. “I believe in the full force of the law for repeat offenders, but I don’t subscribe to baseball rules,” he said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, campaigning in Vancouver, reiterated his party’s promise to implement a full public pharmacare program within four years. Singh is aiming to build on the foundation laid by the previous Liberal-NDP confidence agreement, which introduced a limited pharmacare plan.
All three major party leaders were scheduled to campaign in Saskatchewan later in the day — the first time any federal leader has visited the province during this election. Saskatchewan’s 14 ridings, all currently held by Conservatives, may be in play as campaigns intensify.