Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Supports Federal Push to Accelerate Infrastructure Approvals, Urges Broader Legislative Reform
Kananaskis, The Gulf Observer: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has voiced strong support for the federal government’s plan to reduce the approval times of major infrastructure projects to two years, welcoming it as a long-overdue shift that could boost investor confidence and attract global capital back to Canada.
In an interview on CBC’s Rosemary Barton Live aired Sunday, Smith commended Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government’s move toward faster approvals, particularly through the recently introduced One Canadian Economy Act. The legislation proposes a “one-project, one-review” model aimed at consolidating federal and provincial review processes, cutting down current timelines from five years to two.
“This is a demonstration that [Carney] knows the federal process is broken,” Smith said, adding that Alberta is eager to “hit the ground running” on new resource and infrastructure projects. She further emphasized the importance of regulatory competitiveness, stating: “If we don’t keep up [with U.S. reforms], we’re going to lose this window of investment.”
Smith, however, called on Ottawa to substantially revise Bill C-69, known as the Impact Assessment Act. While some provisions of the IAA were amended following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that found parts of it unconstitutional, the Alberta government maintains that the revised bill still oversteps federal jurisdiction and remains ideologically driven. “There are requirements in the IAA that are difficult to measure and don’t reflect the realities of attracting investment,” Smith said.
Controversy Surrounding the Federal Legislation
The One Canadian Economy Act, a centerpiece of the Liberal platform, has not gone without criticism. Detractors argue the bill undermines Indigenous rights, weakens environmental protections, and centralizes power in federal hands by allowing the cabinet to exempt certain projects — such as pipelines and mines — from existing laws and even Acts of Parliament. This provision, buried near the end of the 18-page bill, has alarmed environmental advocates and constitutional experts alike.
Still, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who oversees the act and Canada-U.S. trade relations, defended the legislation. “It’s not surprising. This was on page 1 of our election platform,” LeBlanc said, asserting that Canadians gave the Liberals a clear mandate to unify the national economy and accelerate key development projects.
U.S.-Canada Relations and G7 Diplomacy
As Alberta hosts this year’s G7 Summit in Kananaskis, momentum around regulatory reform and trade is building. Prime Minister Carney is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday ahead of the summit’s formal sessions, in an effort to break the impasse in the Canada-U.S. trade war.
Smith has also requested bilateral meetings with several world leaders attending the summit, including President Trump, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. As host province, Alberta is seeking to showcase its investment potential and role in national and global economic recovery.
In summary, while Alberta’s premier welcomes Ottawa’s newfound urgency in cutting red tape and expediting development, she insists that broader regulatory overhaul — particularly of the IAA — remains essential to restoring Canada’s credibility as a reliable destination for long-term investment.
