Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging the newly elected leader of the federal Liberal Party to shift their stance on the oil and gas industry and environmental policies. Mark Carney secured the Liberal leadership with a significant majority vote from party members on Sunday evening.
Smith reiterated her call for an election to appoint a prime minister with a nationwide voter mandate. Despite Carney’s background as a central banker, Smith expressed skepticism that he would alter the federal government’s approach to the oil sector. She and her cabinet colleagues consistently criticize the federal Liberals for their policies, including the proposed emissions cap on oil and gas.
During the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Smith accused Carney of being aligned with “net zero banking” and maintaining an anti-energy industry stance throughout his career. She doubted any change in Carney’s position, emphasizing his history of opposing the energy sector.
Carney, who assumed the role of UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance in 2019, advocated for global financial institutions to invest in net-zero emissions. In his recent leadership campaign, he pledged to modernize energy infrastructure to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and the U.S. market.
Former Alberta energy minister Sonya Savage is curious to observe if Carney will prioritize environmental policies differently from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Savage highlighted the importance of affordability, inflation, and energy reliability, especially in comparison to the U.S.’s focus on energy dominance.
Carney, originally from Fort Smith, N.W.T., spent his early years there before relocating to Edmonton. Appointed as the Bank of Canada governor in 2007 under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Carney brings a background in finance to his new political leadership role.
