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Jason Kenney used his first major speech as Alberta’s Premier to try to convince Bay Street that what’s good for Alberta is good for all of Canada — a message that appeared to land on receptive ears.

The self-proclaimed federalist, who often took a combative stance while campaigning on pledges go after those who hurt Alberta’s oil and gas industry, stressed common ground at a packed luncheon in Toronto on Friday, where he said the health of the energy sector is “a Canadian issue.”

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The standing ovation that greeted him surprised even Kenney, who laid out his plans to move quickly to establish Alberta’s “open for business” credentials with tax cuts and regulatory relief to speed up approvals.

“I was frankly blown away by the response,” he said in an interview following the speech, adding that he has heard of some capital spending and real estate decisions being “unfrozen” in the wake of the election victory of his United Conservative Party last month.