Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said this week that major infrastructure projects like pipelines should proceed without requiring consensus from all stakeholders and provincial premiers, directly challenging the Liberal government’s approach to energy project approvals.
“You’re never going to get everybody to agree on every single project,” Poilievre told reporters on Parliament Hill. When asked whether consensus should be required if premiers disagree, he answered simply: “No.”
The comments come as Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his government will only support new pipelines if a broad consensus exists, a position that has drawn criticism from opposition parties and industry groups. Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin has defended the policy, saying Canadians want to see “unity” and “working together.”
Read: Kenney Accuses Carney of Contradicting the Constitution on Pipeline Authority
Poilievre argued that waiting for universal agreement would paralyze development. “At the end of the day, if you wait until everybody agrees on everything, nothing will happen,” he said, pointing to Canada’s heavy dependence on US markets for oil exports.
According to government data, nearly 100 percent of Canada’s crude oil exports went to the U.S. in 2023, leaving the country vulnerable to potential American tariffs or trade disruptions.
BC Premier David Eby previously said that he won’t support a new pipeline, arguing that the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is already in place. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, meanwhile, has called for new pipeline infrastructure as a “nation-building project.”
During his campaign to become prime minister, the Conservative leader announced a “Canada First National Energy Corridor”. The proposal would provide pre-approved routes for pipelines and other infrastructure, with legally binding government commitments that couldn’t be reversed. He also pledged to repeal the Liberal government’s Bill C-69, which critics call the “no more pipelines act.”
Carney’s Liberal government faces pressure to diversify Canada’s energy exports while maintaining environmental standards and Indigenous consultation requirements. The government has said it supports making Canada an “energy superpower” but insists on maintaining consensus-based approaches to major projects.
Read: Mark Carney Wants More Than Pipelines
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One Response
Unconstitutional.