• Alberta referendum a notable chapter in long history of grievance with Ottawa

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-10-20 09:19:12.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Governance, Energy, Resources, Economy]

  In an Alberta referendum where residents voted on 10 government-initiated questions, approximately 76 per cent of voters chose to remain in Canada rather than proceed to a binding referendum on leaving Confederation. The historic vote brought to a head nearly a century of grievances with the federal government, stemming from historical disputes including the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly established in 1935, Pierre Trudeau's National Energy Program (NEP) in the 1980s, the rise of the Reform Party under Preston Manning, pandemic-era public health restrictions, and modern federal policies such as Bill C-69 (Impact Assessment Act), Bill C-48, and the federal carbon tax.

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• Provinces call on Ottawa to expand mining credit

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-10-10 12:17:12.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Taxation, Economy, Resources, Mining, Finance]

  Nearly half of Canada's provinces and territories—specifically Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon—are urging the federal Liberal government to fulfill its 2025 election promise to expand the mineral exploration tax credit to include engineering and feasibility study costs. The Association for Mineral Exploration and the Nunavut and N.W.T. Chamber of Mines argue this measure is crucial to help junior mining companies navigate the late-stage 'valley of death' financing gap. An Ernst & Young report commissioned by the association indicates that covering feasibility and economic viability studies could generate between 14,000 and 34,000 jobs and add $5.2 billion to $12.2 billion in GDP over 10 years. While Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's office highlighted recent federal initiatives such as the Productivity Mega Deduction and the Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit, federal expenses under the Canadian exploration expenses framework still exclude economic assessments and feasibility studies.

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• Stephen Harper says Canada had 'no choice' but to walk away from U.S. trade talks

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-15 23:39:51.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Trade, Economy, Energy, Resources]

  Former prime minister Stephen Harper endorsed the federal government's decision under Prime Minister Mark Carney to walk away from trade negotiations with the United States and implement counter-measures and tariffs. Speaking at the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, Harper stated that Canada had no choice in order to protect its separate sovereignty from an increasingly hostile U.S. administration. Harper, serving as chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, emphasized the urgent need for Canada to reduce economic dependence on the U.S., accelerate major resource and energy projects, fast-track oilsands project approvals, and reform regulatory and permitting processes to attract private investment.

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