Build Canada Now: Oil and gas, pipeline CEOs’ letter to party leaders

Mar 24, 2025

Share
Share
Tweet

Editor’s note: Last week, just days before the federal election call, CEOs of the largest oil industry companies in Canada sent a joint letter to the leaders of all the major federal parties. What’s remarkable about this letter is that up until now, most oil company CEOs have largely kept quiet during the pipeline wars and outright assault on the oil and gas industry. Apparently, that silence is now ending. Here’s the letter:

How Canadian energy can help strengthen Canada’s economic sovereignty

 

March 18, 2025

Yves-François Blanchet
Leader, Bloc Québécois

Pierre Poilievre
Leader, Conservative Party of Canada

Mark Carney
Leader, Liberal Party of Canada

Jagmeet Singh
Leader, New Democratic Party

Dear Messrs. Blanchet, Carney, Poilievre, and Singh:

We are at a turning point in Canada’s history and national interest. There is increasing public support to urgently grow our energy sector and build energy infrastructure, including new oil and natural gas pipelines and LNG terminals, to expand Canada’s energy exports. These are critically important global commodities. Canadians increasingly see the importance of using our abundant energy to ensure Canada can defend its sovereignty, play a role in the world as a force for good, and improve our overall economic competitiveness and prosperity.

As leaders of Canadian energy companies representing tens of thousands of Canadian workers, we are responsible for the majority of oil and gas production and pipelines in the country. We want to share our perspectives on global energy, our vision for Canada’s role, and what is required to capture this opportunity.

A catalyst for more Canadians wishing to increase production and energy exports has been a desire to fortify Canadian independence through a stronger economy while diversifying our markets. A more prosperous country will not only raise Canadians’ standard of living and create high quality jobs but provide the financial capability for the country to be a more active and relevant international player.

  • 0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
    0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
  • 0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
    0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
  • 0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
    0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
  • 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
    0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
  • 0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
    0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
  • 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
    0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
  • 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
    0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
  • 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
    0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
  • 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
    0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
  • 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
    0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
  • 0076 Latus only
    0076 Latus only
  • 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
    0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  • 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
    0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  • 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
    0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  • 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
    0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  • 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
    0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  • 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
  • 0022 Grimes winter hiring
  • 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
  • 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
  • 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
  • 0011
  • 0006 JK Junior
  • 0002 gilliss casing services
    0002 gilliss casing services
  • 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
    9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  • 9001

 

All plausible global outlooks forecast oil and natural gas remaining amongst the world’s largest sources of energy for decades to come. With a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, Canada can be the global leader in ensuring energy security by being the provider of affordable, democratically produced energy to people around the world, including allies with shared values.

A growing Canadian energy sector will also help address the world’s energy poverty emergency. More than 4 billion people, over half the world’s population, live below modern standards of living, which require reliable energy for housing, infrastructure, educations, jobs, and mobility. Energy poverty shrinks as energy grows, which requires affordable and reliable supply. In addition, every year, 8.3 million people die globally due to inadequate access to heating and cooling and indoor air pollution from burning over open fires kerosene, wood, animal dung, crop waste and coal.1 Canada has the resources to responsibly meet this demand as one of the top five global oil producers and one of only two democratic oil producers in the top ten.

 

At the same time, Canadian energy can help address global carbon emissions. Canadian LNG could replace the more emissions-intensive coal fired electricity generating plants throughout Asia. Canada’s oil sands industry has been investing heavily in research and regulatory approvals to develop new carbon capture and storage projects that have the potential to reduce the sector’s carbon emissions intensity. Thus, an expanding Canadian oil and natural gas sector helps the world’s efforts to tackle this global challenge.

  • 0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
    0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
  • 0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
    0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
  • 0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
    0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
  • 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
    0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
  • 0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
    0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
  • 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
    0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
  • 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
    0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
  • 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
    0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
  • 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
    0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
  • 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
    0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
  • 0076 Latus only
    0076 Latus only
  • 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
    0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  • 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
    0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  • 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
    0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  • 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
    0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  • 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
    0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  • 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
  • 0022 Grimes winter hiring
  • 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
  • 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
  • 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
  • 0011
  • 0006 JK Junior
  • 0002 gilliss casing services
    0002 gilliss casing services
  • 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
    9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  • 9001

 

Realizing Canada’s opportunity will take collaboration between industry, government, and society.  The federal government has an opportunity to reset its policies, and regulatory frameworks to support oil and natural gas investment and remove the barriers we have imposed on ourselves over time. For the oil and natural gas sector to expand and energy infrastructure to be built, Canada’s federal political leaders can create an environment that will:

  • Simplify regulation. The federal government’s Impact Assessment Act and West Coast tanker ban are impeding development and need to be overhauled and simplified. Regulatory processes need to be streamlined, and decisions need to withstand judicial challenges.
  • Commit to firm deadlines for project approvals. The federal government needs to reduce regulatory timelines so that major projects are approved within 6 months of application.
  • Grow production. The federal government’s unlegislated cap on emissions must be eliminated to allow the sector to reach its full potential.
  • Attract investment. The federal carbon levy on large emitters is not globally cost competitive and should be repealed to allow provincial governments to set more suitable carbon regulations.
  • Incent Indigenous co-investment opportunities. The federal government needs to provide Indigenous loan guarantees at scale so industry may create infrastructure ownership opportunities to increase prosperity for communities and to ensure that Indigenous communities benefit from development.

By declaring a Canadian energy crisis and key projects in the “national interest,” the federal government will be able to use all its available emergency powers to ensure that the dramatic regulatory restructuring required to expand the oil and natural gas sector is rapidly achieved.

As leaders of the energy sector, we are ready and willing to engage with you on the matters so that energy projects are moved forward promptly, and construction of critical infrastructure can begin in the near term for the benefit of Canada and all Canadians nationwide.

Regards,

 

  • 0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
    0091 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_RANJITH
  • 0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
    0090 WBPC_2025_30_SECOND_PROMO_DAN
  • 0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
    0089 WBPC_2025_30_SEC_PROMO_ERIK
  • 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
    0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
  • 0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
    0088 WBPC_2025_30SEC_PROMO
  • 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
    0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
  • 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
    0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
  • 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
    0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
  • 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
    0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
  • 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
    0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
  • 0076 Latus only
    0076 Latus only
  • 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
    0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  • 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
    0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  • 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
    0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  • 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
    0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  • 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
    0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  • 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
  • 0022 Grimes winter hiring
  • 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
  • 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
  • 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
  • 0011
  • 0006 JK Junior
  • 0002 gilliss casing services
    0002 gilliss casing services
  • 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
    9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  • 9001