EDITORIAL: Jury out on PM Mark Carney fixing Justin Trudeau’s mess

Even after he scrapped some of his predecessor's anti-growth policies and pledged to build major infrastructure projects, many Canadians remain skeptical

Published May 16, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Prime Minister Mark Carney (left) and former PM Justin Trudeau (right). Photo by File Photos /AFP via Getty Images

Over two days last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney once again labelled the energy policies of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, as unrealistic.

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He didn’t say it explicitly, but he extended Trudeau’s deadlines for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions and reduced planned increases to Trudeau’s industrial carbon tax in his Friday announcement on constructing a new bitumen pipeline from Alberta to B.C.

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On Thursday, while announcing his plan to create a national electricity strategy, Carney made it clear natural gas, which is a fossil fuel, will be an important component of the electricity grid going forward, in contrast to his predecessor.

Previously, Carney had scrapped signature Trudeau policies such as the consumer carbon tax, the oil and gas emissions cap and EV mandates.

In a year-end interview with CBC News in December 2025, Carney acknowledged that Canada would not reach Trudeau’s 2030 and 2035 emission reduction targets under the former PM’s climate change plan.

He said it had “too much regulation, not enough action” with a lot of talk “and then nothing happens”, adding he was more interested in results.

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Significant hurdles to oil and gas sector expansion remain

Even with Carney’s changes, significant hurdles to the expansion of Canada’s oil and gas sector passed during the Trudeau era remain in place, including the Impact Assessment Act and the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act.

Then there’s the hurdle of getting Indigenous groups along the route to agree to the proposed pipeline by Carney and Premier Danielle Smith from the oilsands in Alberta to the coast of B.C., plus the prospect of legal challenges.

Finally, B.C. Premier David Eby opposes the pipeline project.

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Many Canadians skeptical anything will change

Even with Carney scrapping some of the Trudeau government’s anti-growth policies and pledging to build major infrastructure projects at “speeds not seen in generations” many Canadians remain skeptical that anything will really change.

And that, on the proposed pipeline, for example, Carney will allow the project to collapse under its own weight and claim he tried.

While that’s possible, for now we take Carney at his word that he wants to get this new pipeline built.

For that reason, we will not make the perfect the enemy of the good by pointing out the flaws in the approval process that Carney says he’s trying to streamline going forward.

But Carney has to deliver, as well.

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