Quebec lawmakers shut down anti-LNG pipeline motion

A motion seeking to immediately block a major natural gas pipeline and liquefaction project in Quebec was soundly defeated in the National Assembly on Thursday.

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A motion seeking to immediately block a major natural gas pipeline and liquefaction project in Quebec was soundly defeated in the National Assembly on Thursday.

The push to officially oppose Marinevest Energy’s ambitious plan, which includes a pipeline connecting Ontario to Baie-Comeau, a natural gas liquefaction plant, and an export terminal, was spearheaded by Québec Solidaire (QS) member Étienne Grandmont.

“This is not a development project, it is a project to dismantle our environmental achievements,” claimed Grandmont.

“We thought we understood that the future no longer lay in pipelines, we thought that science had finally won out over the lobbying of multinationals. Yet today, a new spectre haunts our regions, and that spectre is Marinevest Energy.”

The motion, however, failed spectacularly, with 80 members voting against it and only 14 in favour.

The vote saw the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) unite to reject the anti-development motion.

Proponents of Canadian energy infrastructure in Quebec view such projects as essential for jobs, revenue, and supplying global markets with responsibly sourced natural gas.

The defeated motion would have prematurely shut down a project designed to move Western Canadian natural gas approximately 1,000 kilometres through Quebec to the coast. There, it would be converted into Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for export, mirroring the economic goals of the previously proposed GNL Québec project.

While the CAQ voted against the QS motion, Environment Minister Benoit Charette indicated that the government has yet to take a final position on the Marinevest Energy proposal, which is owned by the Norwegian firm Marine Vest Energy.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m going to repeat the same thing. Each developer can submit a project, which is then evaluated on its merits. We don’t have any concrete projects on the table,” said Charette.

Even the PQ, which voted for the QS motion, has adopted a more pragmatic tone than their left-wing allies, stating they are still “open” to the pipeline idea and wish to continue examining the project with a “careful” attitude.