The chief executive of National Bank of Canada says he’s not changing the bank’s strategy because of the war in the Middle East, but he is urging a faster response from Canada to rising threats abroad.

Speaking at the bank’s financial services conference in Montreal, Laurent Ferreira says the country should be moving quicker on reducing internal trade barriers and boosting energy supplies.

He says Canada needs to look to export more liquefied natural gas westward and transport more gas eastward to Ontario, Quebec and beyond, as well as consider reviving the Keystone pipeline project to the United States.

Ferreira says that because the world is “dangerous,” Canada needs to set politics aside and start thinking about the future and what the country can offer.

He says Canadian banks are well capitalized and ready to support government efforts.

Ferreira, however, also raised concerns about rising bank oversight rules in Canada at a time when the United States is significantly pulling back on supervision.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2026.