Conservative leader Pierre Poilliel said that it will establish certain zones with prior approval of permits for major construction and energy projects to accelerate the development of key infrastructure and industry.
“After years of uncertainty that companies spend billions of dollars and reach over the years ‘perhaps,‘ They’ll know they have ‘Yes, “before,” Poilliebre said at a stop in Quebec’s Sagueenai area at Johnquière on March 20th.
The Tory leader said this will create more certainty for investors and lead to a construction and economic boom.
Called the “Canada Shovel Ready Zone,” this area is identified as a suitable location for mines, pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, power plants, or hydrodams. Assessment of the environment and impact on local residents will be conducted in advance, and necessary consultations with Indigenous people will be held “in advance,” Poilievre said. The permission will then be published online.
Poilievre said one of the pre-approved zones includes LNG projects in the Sagnai region that were discarded several years ago after being blocked by the environmental and federal government.
“The result would be that businesses would ship energy to avoid Americans, break European dependence on (Russian President) Putin, send energy to Asia to Asia, break Asian dependence on coal and use clean Canadian natural gas instead,” he said.
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The Quebec government recently showed that it could rethink its stance on the project amid the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
The state environmental groups that rejected the project in 2021 said the risk was higher than benefits and could not determine whether there was “social acceptability.”
In response to a question about his confidence in general support for the project, Polyavel said there is no social acceptance of the “current situation.”
“The current situation of selling 100% of Canadian gas to the US to benefit Donald Trump is not socially receptive,” he said. “The current situation for Vladimir Putin, who monopolizes the European market for funding, is that war machinery is not socially acceptable.”
The announcement of Poilierbre in Quebec announced the previous day that it would speed up resource and infrastructure development in Ontario. Poilierbre has pledged to issue a permit within six months to develop the mine in the critical mineral-rich “Ring of Fire” region of northern Ontario.
Conservatives are trying to position themselves as the best thing to boost the Canadian economy at a time when the US is re-adjusting its trade ties.
Prime Minister Mark Kearney has also pledged to increase productivity and seek new export markets.
Carney is widely expected to ask the governor to dissolve Congress in the coming days to trigger a general election.
