Carney says West Coast pipeline hinges on B.C., First Nations agreement

Prime Minister Mark Carney said a West Coast pipeline proposed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hinges on agreement from British Columbia and First Nations

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Prime Minister Mark Carney said a West Coast pipeline proposed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hinges on agreement from British Columbia and First Nations, declaring in the House of Commons on Tuesday that any agreement requires their explicit consent.

Carney made the comments during question period after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked the government to specify when construction would begin on a West Coast export pipeline. Poilievre criticized an upcoming memorandum of understanding with Alberta, calling it a “public relations ploy” and pressed Carney for a firm start date.

In response, Carney said the memorandum under negotiation outlines “necessary conditions, but not sufficient conditions,” and that other jurisdictions must support the project before it can advance. “We believe the government of British Columbia has to agree,” Carney said. “We believe in cooperative federalism. We believe that First Nations … have to agree.”

The remarks come as B.C.’s NDP government under Premier David Eby has renewed its opposition to new pipelines through the province.

Earlier this month, ahead of an annual gathering of provincial cabinet ministers and First Nations leaders, Eby said major resource projects remain a source of negotiation and tension in some communities. He said some First Nations support such projects while others oppose them, adding that the discussions are “crucial.”

Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations has said projects of this scale must meet federal and provincial obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Alberta has continued advocating for additional export routes to the Pacific, but Carney did not give a timeline, saying provincial and Indigenous consent is required before any proposal can proceed.