Fourteen Liberal MPs sent Prime Minister Mark Carney a private warning at the end of April: concede too much to Alberta on pipelines and carbon pricing, and the government’s credibility goes with it. The letter arrived before Carney had signed anything — and he signed anyway.
“We remain deeply concerned; the government’s credibility will be seriously compromised,” the signatories wrote. None of the fourteen agreed to be named, describing their approach as constructive and respectful. The group reportedly spans the country, with members from Quebec and British Columbia among them.
The letter was originally obtained and reported on by Radio-Canada.
What they were worried about became official last week. Carney signed a new agreement with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith that could see construction begin on an oil pipeline to the West Coast as early as September 2027. The deal also includes a plan to raise Alberta’s industrial carbon price at a slower pace than previously projected. The federal government has separately proposed legislative changes that would cap the review process for major projects, including pipelines, at one year.
The fourteen MPs used the letter to reiterate their backing for clean electricity regulations and their view that climate change remains the greatest threat of our time. In public, though, the caucus has held. Only former environment minister Steven Guilbeault has broken ranks openly, having walked out of Carney’s cabinet after an earlier memorandum of understanding Carney and Smith signed last fall.
Pressure is building from outside the Liberal tent as well. Bloc Québécois environment critic Patrick Bonin said his party will deploy every parliamentary tool available to make sure voices concerned about the climate crisis are heard. Bonin argued that Liberals were not elected on a platform that is essentially the agenda of the oil and gas companies.
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