WATCH: Poilievre calls West Coast pipeline a “litmus test” for Carney’s Liberals
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is challenging Carney’s “Build Canada” plan, making the fate of a proposed West Coast pipeline a crucial “litmus test” for the Liberals’ infrastructure commitments
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is challenging Prime Minister Mark Carney’s “Build Canada” plan, making the fate of a proposed West Coast pipeline a crucial “litmus test” for the Liberals’ infrastructure commitments.
When asked on Thursday if the stalled project was a litmus test for the country, Poilievre shifted the question to the Liberal leader.
“It’s a litmus test for Mark Carney,” he said. “Here we are, six months after he took office, and the new Liberal government looks an awful lot like the old Liberal government. The last six months looks an awful lot like the last ten years — where they block, baby, block.”
Poilievre argued the federal government has sole jurisdiction over interprovincial pipelines and accused Carney of standing in the way.
“There’s one man who stands in the way of this pipeline getting built. It’s Mark Carney.”
He called on the Liberals to repeal the federal tanker ban, lift caps on oil production and scrap the Impact Assessment Act, or Bill C-69, which he said has stalled major resource projects for years.
“Mark Carney really only has to do one thing: get out of the way,” Poilievre said.
The remarks follow Alberta’s push for a new West Coast pipeline corridor, which would see oil and gas sent west through British Columbia, the Yukon or potentially even Alaska.
While no specific route or company has been announced as of yet.
Poilievre noted American-led pipelines as proof Canada is falling behind, saying Canadian firms like Enbridge and TC Energy are building new lines south of the border “without a single dollar of government money.”
“That’s the way we send our resources to 2.5 billion Asian customers,” he said. “So we’re no longer reliant on the Americans for all of our exports.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith framed the idea as a way to end the province’s dependence on U.S. markets and open new trade pathways.
On Wednesday, B.C. Premier David Eby pushed back on the concept, citing environmental concerns.
Still, Poilievre dismissed provincial hesitation as a distraction from what he sees as Ottawa’s regulatory gridlock.
“Canada has the oil. The world wants to buy it. All that’s missing is a government that will allow it to get to market,” he said.
During her Wednesday press conference, Smith said, “The ball is going to be in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s court.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has not spoken on the matter, and Ottawa has not signalled support or rejection of the project concept thus far.
Mr Poilievre you are 100 % right, lets see if he does it or finds excuse after excuse why it cannot be done. This government's performance to date indicates the later.
P.S. Mind you the PM has had one success this week, he got Trump to add another 10% tariff on our soft wood lumber
BC will block every pipeline using climate and indigenous groups to validate their ideology.