SASKATOON — Canada’s premiers gathered Monday to pitch Prime Minister Mark Carney on which major projects should head to the fast track—a list the federal government hopes will keep growing as private investors learn more about its promised streamlined approvals process.

The ask: The Liberals plan to introduce legislation that would see some “nation-building projects” such as ports, pipelines, nuclear projects, electricity transmission lines and mines for critical minerals get speedier regulatory approvals in the interest of strengthening Canada’s economy amid the U.S. trade war. The approvals would be “up-front,” which means it would be a matter of figuring out how a project will go ahead, rather than taking years to say yes or no, which creates more certainty for investors. Carney asked premiers to come to the table in Saskatoon with the projects they think should get priority treatment.

The criteria: The premiers discussed projects that, to qualify, would meet specific criteria: they must strengthen Canada’s “autonomy, resilience and security”; offer “undeniable benefits” to the economy; have “clean growth potential”; are a high priority for Indigenous leaders and have a strong chance of success. Carney is striving to have all federal assessments take no longer than two years, and the premiers are hoping to eventually see just one level of review for each project.

A ‘living list’: The prime minister said the projects that could be up for faster approvals could change as the criteria become better known and understood. “The gate doesn’t come down all of a sudden,” Carney said after the meeting. “It’s a living list.” The full wishlist, as it stands now, is not being shared publicly, but Carney said it would include projects such as the Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario, the Port of Churchill in Manitoba and, yes, an oil pipeline.

The warning: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith demanded last month that an oil pipeline to the northern B.C. coast to increase access to Asian markets be on the priority list. Leaving it off “will perpetuate current investment uncertainty and send an unwelcome signal to Albertans concerned about Ottawa’s commitment to national unity,” Smith wrote in a letter to Carney on May 16. She also asked the prime minister to overhaul the impact assessment law, repeal the clean electricity regulations and abandon the proposed emissions cap for oil and gas.

A ‘grand bargain’: The joint statement by Carney and the premiers released after Monday’s meeting mentions pipelines that would move “decarbonized Canadian oil and gas.” Asked what she thought of that plan, Smith spoke of “a grand bargain”: one project could be a pipeline carrying bitumen to B.C., and another could be the $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage hub in northern Alberta championed by Pathways Alliance, a consortium of oil and gas companies. “Having more egress with more barrels to be sold to Asia is the way to pay for it,” she said. 

Niki Sharma, the B.C. deputy premier who attended instead of Premier David Eby, said there is currently no proponent for any such pipeline. “We’re going to be focused on shovel-ready projects in B.C. that we can bring forward that we know will have a really solid impact on the economy,” Sharma said before the meeting.

Public vs. private: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said this meeting would focus on improving the regulatory environment to attract investors to fund such projects—rather than asking Ottawa to help cover the bills. “If we are truly going to achieve the target of being a global energy superpower … that’s going to take private investment,” Moe told reporters Monday ahead of the meeting.

Consultations: The premiers are not the only ones weighing in. The federal government recently shared broad outlines of its proposed legislation with some Indigenous communities and committed to ensuring any regulatory process meets Canada’s obligation to consult with Indigenous Peoples. The Assembly of First Nations responded Monday by saying they have not yet heard enough on that front. “First Nations will require clarification regarding the design of Crown-First Nations engagement and consultation, timelines, and how rights holders will be invited to respond to the Crown on this matter,” National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement. First Nations groups have been pushing back against similar fast-tracking legislation in B.C. and Ontario, which wants to see Carney include the Ring of Fire on the list of priority projects.

Internal trade: On Monday, Carney and the premiers agreed to have a deal in place by December that assures mutual recognition of all consumer goods, excluding food. That means a good that meets regulatory requirements in one province or territory could be sold in every other one. 

On Sunday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed memorandums of understanding with the premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island aimed at improving interprovincial trade between them. Ontario also has such deals in place with Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.