The federal government’s new western outreach ambassador says there might be room to look at changing legislation at the heart of anger towards the Liberal government in Canada’s West.
Manitoba MP Jim Carr is no longer in cabinet, but he has a new role helping the government as Justin Trudeau’s special representative for the Prairies.
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Carr is undergoing treatment for cancer after being diagnosed shortly after the Oct. 21 election.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is among those demanding changes to bills C-69 and C-48, which overhauled the environmental assessment process for major projects like pipelines and legislated a permanent ban against oil tankers travelling along the northern British Columbia coast.
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Earlier this month, Vancouver-area MP Carla Qualtrough, a cabinet minister, said the government was open to almost anything to try and help ease anxieties in Canada’s oil patch — except for changing Bill C-69.
Today, however, Carr says he believes there is an openness to look at the bills for possible improvements.
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“I think there’s an openness to look at the legislation,” Carr told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday morning.
“The prime minister has said that and I’ll be working with my cabinet colleagues across the government that have responsibilities that impact directly on the West, and that is many. The important thing is the spirit and the attitude we bring to the task at hand. It is in Canada’s interests for their to be a strong Prairie.”