Prime Minister Mark Carney released his government’s criteria for fast-tracking major infrastructure projects after a meeting with premiers on Monday, with a focus on proposals that could create a more independent economy and that have buy-in from Indigenous communities.

Mr. Carney’s government is promising two-year approvals for a range of projects that could include critical mineral corridors, ports, nuclear energy projects and pipelines. He has argued such projects are needed to boost Canada’s economy while also making it less reliant on the United States – a dominant theme of Mr. Carney’s election platform that was emphasized in last week’s Throne Speech.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was facing provincial pressure to support a new oil pipeline and repeal a federal environmental review law as he prepared to join premiers at a Monday first ministers meeting focused on fast-tracking major infrastructure projects and reducing red tape.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting in Saskatoon, Ontario announced separate agreements with each of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Prince Edward Island to reduce trade barriers between them. Lowering these interprovincial barriers was expected to be another major theme of Mr. Carney’s meeting with the premiers, his first since winning the federal election.