Polls point to more Alberta oil patch pain
Parties less favourable to Canada's oil industry make gains
Beleaguered western Canadian oil and gas firms face reducing prospects of any relief after the upcoming federal election, to be held no later than October 21, according to the most recent opinion polls. The pro-business Conservative Party was verging on majority territory earlier this year. But incumbent prime minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party—blamed by many for what ails the West's oil patch, especially the lack of pipeline capacity exiting the region—are now running close to neck and neck with the Conservatives in the polls. Another majority Liberal government is likely a stretch come October, with Trudeau's approval rating collapsing to the low thirties over the past four year
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026






