The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Quebec was among the first governments in the world to put a halt on oil and gas development when it introduced a ban four years ago, triggering lawsuits from energy companies with exploration licences that claimed billions of dollars in damages. The Globe's Nicolas Van Praet writes that now it might be steering toward a rethink. After a decades-long flirtation with the industry that saw it support the hunt for hydrocarbons before beating a retreat, the province passed a law in April, 2022, that closed the books on new fossil-fuel exploration and production. Francois Legault, premier at the time, said Quebec's energy future lay elsewhere. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are feeding a new drive for energy security in many parts of the world, while in Canada, fraying ties with the United States have exposed our own weaknesses. Observers will be watching to what extent the hydrocarbon development has legs in Quebec City with a new government and whether companies will want to jump back in if the ban is lifted. Questerre, which holds the largest acreage position in the Saint Lawrence Lowlands, says it won't push to drill for gas anywhere it's not wanted.