Oil has been added to the first ministers agenda in Montreal, but Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said she wants more time allocated to discuss what she has called a crisis.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office said it will “include a discussion on the oil and gas industry in Canada and the impact of struggling oil prices on Canada’s energy sector and energy workers.”
Friday’s meeting has an agenda with a breakdown of what each premier wants to discuss during the six hours they have scheduled.
“The word oil has been added to the agenda, but the amount of time allocated to the conversations, in our view, is not adequate,” Notley said.
On Sunday, Notley announced Alberta would cut oil production by 8.7 per cent—325,000 barrels per day—to reduce the oil price differential in comparison with the United States.
The Alberta premier has blamed the low oil prices on the federal government for failing to get pipelines built.
“The fiscal health of Alberta, of every other province and the country, depends on us finding solutions to what’s going on in our energy industry right now,” Notley said. “Bottom line is this: Canada needs Alberta to do well.”
UCP Leader Jason Kenney criticized Notley Friday for not getting anything out of what he calls a political relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and suggested she speaks with a voice of “strength and clarity” at the meeting.
Premiers are in unison with dissatisfaction for the initial breakdown of the meeting—and the oil and energy crisis.
“I’m hopeful that my colleagues, the other premiers, will join with us. Many of them have already expressed support for our position in different settings and you know they understand.”
With files from Nicole Weisberg
