Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected calls to repeal controversial legislation that critics say blocks new pipeline development, even as his government positions itself to counter US tariff threats by developing domestic resources.
“We do not plan to repeal Bill C-69,” Carney said Tuesday at a press conference in Winnipeg, referring to legislation that requires resource projects be assessed for environmental, health, social and economic impacts.
The prime minister’s statement contradicts earlier campaign rhetoric where he advocated for pipelines running from east to west, including through Quebec.
Instead, Carney offered a modified approach to energy infrastructure. “What we have said, formally at a First Ministers meeting, is that we will move for projects of national interest, to remove duplication in terms of environmental assessments and other approvals, and we will follow the principle of ‘one project, one approval,'” he said.
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The stance comes as Canada faces increasing pressure from planned US tariffs under President Donald Trump, with Carney repeatedly framing his economic agenda as helping Canadians “weather the storm” of potential trade disruptions.
Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who’s fallen behind in the polls, quickly criticized Carney’s position, arguing the Liberal legislation has blocked “billions of dollars of investment in oil & gas projects, pipelines, LNG plants, mines, and so much more.”
The issue has gained urgency after 14 Canadian energy companies sent an open letter to party leaders in March calling for streamlined regulation, six-month deadlines for project approvals, and an end to both emissions caps and industrial carbon pricing.
Poilievre has pledged to meet all five demands outlined in the energy sector’s letter, presenting a stark contrast to Carney’s approach.
In his Winnipeg appearance, the prime minister highlighted previously announced Liberal promises, including a cut to the consumer carbon tax, middle-class income tax reductions, and housing affordability measures.
Carney maintained his government would pursue resource development through partnerships with provinces and Indigenous communities, saying the federal government would accept provincial environmental assessments for clean energy and conventional energy projects.
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