Meeting with Trudeau encouraging, but no assurances on pipelines: Suncor CEO

“I am not going to prejudge or shortcut the (National Energy Board) process as it goes forward, ” he said Thursday after meeting with oil and natural gas producers and their suppliers.

The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke Thursday with representatives of the largest companies in the Canadian petroleum industry on the occasion of a meeting in Calgary.

Of that sum, about $5-billion is due to be handed out in the fiscal year that starts April 1st.

Trudeau has faced pressure, including from Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, to advocate for the project rather than playing peacemaker between those for and against the pipeline.

The Prime Minister’s Office says UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Ottawa and Montreal next week. “We have a different approach that says… instead of excluding people from the conversation, bring them in”.

The president and CEO of Suncor Energy (TSX:SU), Steve Williams, said the meeting with Trudeau was encouraging, but there were no guarantees about pipeline approvals.

“I’d hoped he would announce there would be a removal of the northern BC tanker ban, and I’d hoped he would announce changes to E-I so that unemployed Albertan could get the same benefits that are more in line with what Canadians get right across the country”.

Williams says the group also offered some potential solutions that the federal government might consider.

“We agreed that we must get Alberta’s resources to market in responsible, sustainable ways”, Trudeau said.

Mr. Trudeau also called the Alberta Premier “Rachel”, and as the Prime Minister adjusted a microphone for her at a news conference, Ms. Notley described him as “a pretty awesome roadie”.

The energy industry told Trudeau their main concern is to continue to employ as many people as possible during the economic downturn.

Trudeau didn’t make any commitments around EI, but noted that his party campaigned on easing access to the program in times of need.