March 24 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has convened a meeting of senior auto sector executives to make sure the government and the industry are on the same page amid the looming renegotiation of the North American free-trade agreement. https://tgam.ca/2myNz2v
** China's new envoy says Beijing is seeking unfettered access for Chinese state-owned firms to all key sectors of the Canadian economy during free-trade talks now under way with Ottawa - including an end to restrictions barring these enterprises from investing in the oil sands. https://tgam.ca/2myOU9h
** Ottawa's plan to end tax allowances for oil firms seeking to drill new wells is riling the energy sector - especially small and medium-sized producers who have already been hit hard by the oil-price drop and increasing competition from the United States. https://tgam.ca/2mys81b
NATIONAL POST
** The U.S. State Department is expected to approve TransCanada Corp's TRP.TO Keystone XL pipeline as early as Friday, eliminating a crucial hurdle for the project after years of political wrangling. Investors at two of Canada's biggest banks, Royal Bank of Canada RY.TO and Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO , will vote soon on whether shareholders with smaller holdings should have a bigger voice when choosing directors for the board - a move that investor advocates say would, if successful, be a big step towards "shareholder democracy". The government of Canada will play the role of venture capitalist and booster to clean technology companies with billions of dollars in funding and outright share purchases budgeted over the next several years.