Poilievre warns Carney: Venezuela heightens West Coast pipeline necessity

Poilievre is sounding the alarm to Prime Minister Mark Carney: Canada must build a West Coast pipeline now, or risk being shut out of the lucrative U.S. oil market.

Source: X

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is sounding the alarm to Prime Minister Mark Carney: Canada must build a West Coast pipeline now, or risk being shut out of the lucrative U.S. oil market as Venezuelan crude surges onto the scene.

In his Tuesday letter, the Conservative leader said Canada must move millions of barrels of oil a day to markets overseas.

“This is why Canada must immediately approve a pipeline to the Pacific Coast,” he said.

While Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Carney signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on energy infrastructure, carbon-reduction projects, and regulatory reforms, Poilievre said this doesn’t mean that construction will occur.

“Your Memorandum of Understanding with the Premier of Alberta commits only to referring a potential pipeline to a new federal office for further consideration, meaning years of additional process, delay, and uncertainty. After nearly a decade of Liberal obstruction, Canadians have no reason to trust that this leads to construction,” he said.

Poilievre noted that Carney has not explicitly stated support for the pipeline.

While the Alberta legislature endorsed a pipeline deal, a similar federal motion failed in the House of Commons, defeated by Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs.

Poilievre reminded Carney that the Liberals voted against a “nearly identical project” in 2016, without naming the Trans Mountain Expansion. He added that Carney previously defended this decision, testifying that it was “the right one.”

“Today, many Liberal Members of Parliament still openly oppose a Pacific pipeline. The only way to prove this government is serious is to approve the project,” said Poilievre.

A day before Poilievre’s letter, Smith issued a similar message in a post to X, calling on the West Coast pipeline’s development to be expedited.

“Alberta’s government is continuing its work to submit an application to the major project office and expects the federal government to move forward with urgency,” she said. “The work doesn’t stop there – Alberta supports building pipelines in all directions to get our product to market and we look forward to continuing to work with provincial and federal partners to advance these projects.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe reinforced Smith’s message.

“Canada should be leading, not sidelining itself. Export capacity is not a nice to have, it’s a need to have,” he said. “Saskatchewan knows that securing our economic future means securing access to the world for our resources.”

While Smith previously warned Ottawa she would turn to willing partners in the U.S. if the federal government did not co-operate, her southern neighbours may be less willing if they can get cheaper oil or more collaborative partners in Venezuela.

Poilievre called on the federal government to approve the project within two months of receiving Alberta’s endorsement.

“After all, you were elected on a promise to build ‘at speeds not seen in generations.’ This is your opportunity to prove it,” he said.

Despite Carney previously saying the West Coast pipeline depended on First Nations and B.C. agreement, the Conservative leader argued provinces and Indigenous communities cannot block such a pipeline, asserting that legal authority rests only with the federal government.

Carney and Poilievre agreed that Maduro’s removal was a positive step that would strengthen Venezuela’s democracy. However, Carney took a more optimistic approach.

“A functioning, not corrupt Venezuelan economy will produce more oil,” he said on Tuesday. “It will be better for the Venezuelan people. It will be more stable for the Western Hemisphere. That’s all a good thing.”

Poilievre said it was “time for [Carney] to get out of the way.”

He reminded the prime minister that he had proposed the Canadian Sovereignty Act, which would repeal any laws blocking growth, eliminate the industrial carbon tax, scrap the oil and gas emission cap, eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate, end the plastics ban and remove capital gains taxes on reinvestment in Canada.

“Our sovereignty depends on your government getting out of the way of Canada’s workers, builders, and investors, so we can move again,” said Poilievre. “Canadians do not need signing ceremonies, meetings, memorandums and paperwork. They need a green light. Conservatives stand ready to work with you and any party that is prepared for a government to stop stopping and start starting.”

“The race is on.”