Despite the federal environment minister insisting the Alberta government will not be granted an extension in its transition to a net-zero grid by 2035, Employment Minister and Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault says 鈥渙fficials are having those conversations鈥� at a working table dealing with 鈥渁 whole series of issues.鈥�

The federal government has set a deadline to achieve a net-zero power grid at 2035, which Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has repeatedly said her province will not be able to meet.

Despite significant pushback from Smith on the deadline 鈥� and repeated requests that it be moved 鈥� Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has insisted his government won鈥檛 make exceptions for individual provinces or budge on its target.

Meanwhile, the federal government faced criticism this week after it walked back part of its marquee climate policy, the carbon price, by granting a three-year pause on the federal fuel charge on home heating oil, among other changes.

But the move primarily impacts and benefits Atlantic Canadians 鈥� where much larger percentages of households use heating oil 鈥� prompting many officials to call it unfair to people in other parts of the country who are also struggling with an affordability crisis.

Opposition parties have called for the federal government to suspend the carbon tax on all forms of home heating, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week there will be 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� no more exemptions.

Boissonnault told CTV鈥檚 Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday, that a number of other energy projects that required the federal and Alberta governments to work together show 鈥渢he country is built on compromises and carve-outs, regardless of who you vote for.鈥�

But when asked whether Alberta should be granted a specific exemption it鈥檚 been asking for, namely to delay the 2035 net-zero electricity grid deadline, Boissonnault said conversations about that are why there鈥檚 a working table in place between Ottawa and Alberta.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a working table that's looking at a whole series of issues,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I already indicated that a carve-out exists for electricity generation.鈥�

Kapelos then pressed Boissonnault specifically on whether the federal government is considering pushing the deadline for Alberta to reach a net-zero grid, despite the environment minister being adamant that wouldn鈥檛 happen.

鈥淚'm saying there's a working table and these are conversations,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 why we asked Premier Smith and her government to sit down at the table with us. Officials are having those conversations, and my own deputy minister is part of those conversations.鈥�

鈥淎nd so we're going to continue to push to work with Alberta to find common ground on all of these energy issues, so that we have a system that's going to help energy, and communities, and both of our governments, to continue to reduce emissions,鈥� he added.

Boissonnault in his interview also discussed Alberta鈥檚 proposal to leave the Canada Pension Plan, and said 鈥淟iberals fight for every seat that (they) get,鈥� in response to controversial comments made by Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings, who said last week the Prairies should elect more Liberal MPs who can share their concerns with the government if they want to secure more carbon price carve-outs.

Watch the full interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.