Updated: April 23, 2025
On March 23, the 45th Canadian federal election began. Election Day is April 28th.
As a non-partisan organization, the Atlantica Centre for Energy observes government regulations and policies and provides unbiased feedback on how such decisions could impact Atlantic Canada’s energy sector. With the federal election underway, the Centre believes it is important for the public to have information about what policies federal parties and party leaders have committed to during leading up to and during this campaign period.
Liberal Party of Canada – Mark Carney:
- Liberal Party of Canada 2025 Platform
- Project and infrastructure development:
- Prime Minister Carney has promised to establish a $5 billion into a new Trade Diversification Corridor Fund, to build the infrastructure that will help diversify our trade partners, create good jobs and drive economic growth. This fund will accelerate nation-building projects at ports, railroads, inland terminals, airports, and highways. This will build one Canadian economy and diversify our trade away from the United States. (source)
- Work with provinces and territories to build out an East-West electricity grid. (source)
- Create a federal “One Window” approval process for large infrastructure and natural resource projects, and a “one project, one approval” principle to help “create clear, predictable, and efficient review processes.” Most projects would also recognize provincial environmental and impact review processes and decisions. (source)
- Fast-track Projects of National Interest, which would be jointly identified with provinces and territories and Indigenous peoples. Federal regulatory authorities would complete reviews for these projects on a two-year timeline. Large investments will be prioritized with even quicker approval timelines to accelerate critical economic developments. (source)
- A Major Federal Project Office would be established to move forward with One Project, One Review. (source)
- Sign Cooperation and Substitution Agreements with all willing provinces, territories, and Indigenous Governing Bodies within six months, to help projects only go through one review. (source)
- Work with project proponents. provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners proactively to do proactive remediation and rehabilitation work at project sites so projects move faster. (source)
- Establish a First Mile Fund to build transportation networks to connect energy extraction sites to rail lines and roads. (source)
- Immediately direct federal departments (including Natural Resources Canada) to take meaningful action on reducing red tape and strengthening our internal trade and supply chains. (source)
- Double the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion and expand it to support more Indigenous-led infrastructure projects. It is unclear when these changes are effective. (source) (source)
- Authorize Canadian ports to cooperate instead of compete, in order to maximize efficiencies by leveraging comparative advantages. (source)
- Increase capacity funding for Indigenous communities to engage on projects early and consistently. (source)
- Keep in place changes made by Bill C-69: An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. (source)
- Carbon pricing:
- Prime Minister Carney committed to improve and tighten the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) for large, industrial emitters, and extend the OBPS framework to 2035. (source)
- Develop and integrate a new consumer carbon credit market with the industrial pricing system (OBPS). (source)
- Support Carbon Contracts for Difference to de-risk climate investments.
- It is important to note that Prime Minister Carney already repealed consumer carbon pricing effective April 1, 2025. (source)
- Instead of consumer carbon pricing, a system of incentives to reward Canadians for making greener choices would be created, such as purchasing an energy efficient appliance, electric vehicle, or improved home insulation. (source) Examples include commitments to:
- Enhance and recapitalize the Greener Homes Grant and improve the efficiency of the application process, targeting support for lower income households. (source)
- Strengthen the current oil-to-heat pump affordability program. (source)
- Explore offering discounts on mortgage insurance premiums through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for low- or middle-income households that make energy efficient renovations or purchase energy efficient homes. (source)
- Recapitalize the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) subsidy program to reinstate subsidies of $5,000 to low- and middle-income households. (source)
- Expand Canada’s electric vehicle charging station infrastructure through green bonds and public-private financing. (source)
- Develop a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to prevent carbon leakage and better economically integrate Canada with allies on emission reduction efforts. (source)
- Oil and gas sector:
- Prime Minister Carney’s stance on the federal government’s proposed Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap remains unclear.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Minister stated there are no plans to remove the proposed Emissions Cap. However, Prime Minister Carney stated a willingness to work with industry to reduce emissions: “We will work with the oil and gas sector to reduce their emissions in a cost effective and efficient manner.” (source) (source)
- Explore strengthening existing commitments, such as the oil and gas methane regulations. (source)
- Implement an efficiency mandate for low-temperature industrial heat (not exclusive to the oil and gas sector). (source)
- Examine measures to reduce Canada’s reliance on imported clean fuels as part of our plan to support Canadian farmers and businesses. (source)
- Training and labour:
- Prime Minister Carney committed to provide an Apprenticeship Grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices to help remove a financial barrier to skills training. This will remove a key financial barrier to skills training. (source)
- Increase labour mobility for skilled trades people between provinces and territories by removing some internal trade barriers. (source)
- Increase the Union Training and Innovation Program from $25 million to $50 million annually. (source)
- Establish a new $20 million capital funding stream for colleges to support new training spaces for apprenticeships. (source)
- Expand the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction to help travelling workers (more than 120km from home to a job site). (source)
- Continue the Apprenticeship Service program to support employers in hiring new apprentices in Red Seal trades, with up to $10,000 for eligible employers for each new apprentice hired. (source)
- Launch a new training and upskilling benefit worth up to $15,000 for workers in the middle of their careers. It is unclear if this benefit would be available for careers in the energy sector. (source)
- Energy investment tax credits (ITCs):
- Prime Minister Carney committed to keep the federal government’s current suite of investment tax credits for clean energy, and finalize the tax credits under development. (source)
- Other:
- Prime Minsiter Carney committed to move quickly to finalize and implement the Made-in-Canada Sustainable Investment Guidelines—also known as the transition taxonomy, and implement a taxonomy for every priority sector by fall 2026. (source)
- Mandate broad coverage of climate risk disclosure for companies across Canada. (source)
- Phase out the use of fossil fuels in federal government buildings by 2030. (source)
- Establish Canadian-made standards for federal infrastructure funding. (source)
- Open a $25 billion export credit facility to support Canadian businesses as they expand into new markets. It is unclear if this credit facility would support energy products, services or equipment. (source)
- Invest an additional $250 million in the Rural Transit Solutions Fund to improve transportation options in rural and small communities. (source)
- Provide disaster mitigation and recovery funding where infrastructure that connects Canada is under threat. It is unclear how much support will be available and for what types of infrastructure. (source)
- Issue Canada’s first-ever transition bonds by 2027, to finance projects that help industrial and agricultural sectors get cleaner and more competitive. The federal government will issue at least $10 billion per year through new bonds. (source)
- Extend the Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit to 2035 and establish a separate carbon removal target for Canada for 2035 and 2040. (source)
Conservative Party of Canada – Pierre Poilievre:
- Conservative Party of Canada 2025 Platform
- Project and infrastructure development:
- Poilievre promised to create a ‘Canada First’ National Energy Corridor to fast-track approvals for transmission lines, railways, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure across Canada in a pre-approved transport corridor entirely within Canada. In the corridor, all levels of government would provide legally binding commitments to approve projects. First Nations would be involved from the outset, ensuring that economic benefits flow directly to them and that their approval is secured before any money is spent. (source)
- Establish “shovel-ready zones” with pre-approved permits for major resource or energy projects. These zones would be identified, and go through environmental reviews, zoning and permitting to offer pre-permitted sites for developments. (source)
- Streamlining regulations and permitting at Canadian ports, reforming borrowing caps and preauthorizing future development zones. (source)
- Repeal the changes made by Bill C-69: An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts within 60 days and replace it with a legislation to approve developments within a year of an application (source)
- Create a First Nations Resource Charge (FNRC) that would allow development companies pay a share of their federal corporate taxes to local First Nations. Local First Nations could choose the FNRC agreement to replace the financial component in Impact Benefit Agreements (IBA) or supplement IBAs. (source)
- Establish the Canadian Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (CIOC), led by Indigenous people, to offer loan guarantees for Indigenous communities. The CIOC would operate under the First Nations Financial Management Act, similar to other Indigenous financial institutions. (source)
- Eliminate 25% of “all red tape” within his first two years. To accomplish this goal, a ‘two-for-one’ law would be introduced mandating that two regulations be repealed for every new one imposed (of equivalent administrative costs). These efforts would be verified annually by the Auditor General. (source)
- Set up a ‘one stop shop’ that will have one environmental review for one project with a one year maximum wait time. This Rapid Resource Project Office would handle all regulatory approvals across all levels of government. Each project would have one application and environmental review. Project approvals would have a one-year maximum wait time, with a target of six months. (source)
- Meet with Premiers to remove exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement within 30 days of taking office. •
- Introduce a Free Trade Bonus that rewards provinces that lower trade and labour mobility barriers. (source)
- Carbon pricing:
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- Poilievre committed to repeal the entire carbon pricing laws for consumers and industry. (source)
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- Oil and gas sector:
- Poilievre committed to eliminate the proposed Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap. (source)
- Scrap fuel regulations to lower fuel costs and boost our economy (this likely refers to the Clean Fuel Regulations). (source)
- Repeal the changes made by Bill C-48: An Act respecting the regulation of vessels that transport crude oil or persistent oil to or from ports or marine installations located along British Columbia’s north coast. (source)
- Double oil production in Newfoundland and Labrador, and greenlight the LNG Newfoundland and Labrador project (among other LNG projects). (source)
- Electricity sector:
- Scrap the electricity tax (this likely refers to the Clean Electricity Regulations). (source)
- Training and labour:
- Poilievre promised to boost training and employment for workers in skilled trades by expanding training halls and providing direct grants and faster access to employment insurance for apprentices in licensed trades. (source)
- Reinstate apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000. (source)
- Allow travelling trades workers will be able to write off the full cost of food, transportation and accommodation. (source)
- Require banks to recognize apprenticeships for Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs), ensuring that all related expenses qualify for Education Assistance Payments. (source)
- Work with the provinces to harmonize health and safety regulations so tradespeople can work anywhere in Canada without redundant retraining. (source)
- Energy investment tax credits (ITCs):
- Poilievre committed to “expand eligibility” for the clean technology and clean manufacturing tax credits, alluding to incentivizing businesses that made products with emissions lower than the global average. (source)
- Taxes (involving the energy sector):
- Poilievre would name a Tax Reform Task Force to design a “Bring it Home Tax Cut” that will lower taxes on energy, among other areas. It is unclear what taxes on energy this commitment alludes to. (source)
- Create the Canada First Reinvestment Tax Cut so that any person or business selling an asset will pay no capital gains tax when they reinvest the proceeds in Canada. Companies that reinvest in active Canadian businesses will also defer any capital gains tax. These gains will still be taxed later on when investors cash out or move the money out of Canada. This tax cut will be available for any capital gains reinvested between July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026, but could become permanent depending on how effective the policy is. (source)
- Implement the Canada First TFSA Top-Up to increase the current $7,000 annual TSFA limit to $12,000, if the investment supports identified Canadian companies and workers. (source)
- Other: