Major projects office to launch this week, natural resources minister says

Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says the federal government's new major projects office will launch this week, a key element in Ottawa's push to spur companies into building new large-scale infrastructure.

The Liberal government rushed its major projects bill through Parliament in June so it could speed up approval times for large industrial projects.

But under the new law, the government needs this office in place before it can start stamping corporate blueprints with Ottawa's seal of approval.

Hodgson made his comments in a speech at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin, where he said Canada is placing an emphasis on speed in getting new infrastructure built so the country can ramp up energy exports.

WATCH | Hodgson says major projects office launching within days:

Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says the federal government's new major projects office is expected to launch either this Thursday or Friday. Hodgson also added that the prime minister said to expect an announcement in the next two weeks about the first major projects selected by that office.

The minister made an aggressive sales pitch to German businesses to buy Canadian energy exports, such as liquefied natural gas and hydrogen.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Berlin on Tuesday that the government will start formally announcing new investments in port infrastructure in the next two weeks.