Poilievre says Ottawa needs to 'get out of the way' and approve a pipeline proposal from Alberta

Poilievre says Ottawa needs to 'get out of the way' and approve a pipeline proposal from Alberta

When asked what he thinks of the agreement between the feds and the B.C. government to keep the North Coast oil tanker ban in place, Poilievre had a straightforward opinion: "I think the North Coast ban is ridiculous."

"American tankers travel through those same Pacific waters all the time, from Alaska to the U.S. West Coast.

"So why does Mark Carney believe … carrying American oil from Alaska to California is safe, but it's not safe for us to send Canadian oil over to Asia through the same passage?"

He said it "takes about 36 hours less time to get to Asia from northern B.C. as it does from southern B.C." due to geography and the curvature of the earth — reasons he believes "the best place to put a pipeline is to Prince Rupert or Kitimat."

"We don't want a pipeline that will simply lead tankers to take the oil south down to the California west coast. We're trying to diversify here. So … the best way to diversify is by permitting a pipeline from Alberta, to Prince Rupert or Kitimat, to ship a million barrels a day over to Asia."

He ended by stating his hope that the prime minister will signal his willingness to "grant such a permit today."

I was at the news conference in Camrose, Alta., with Pollievre, who said he'd be watching today's pipeline announcements with interest.

He congratulated Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her support for oil and gas in the province, and critiqued Carney's position on the energy sector.

Pollievre’s solution? Simply "get the feds out of the way."

That involves repealing the industrial carbon tax; getting rid of Bill C-69, which overhauled Canada's environmental assessment process; repealing the tanker ban off B.C.'s North Coast; and approving Smith’s pipeline proposal, and getting out of the way to allow it to move forward.

"Build, don’t block pipelines," Poilievre concluded.

One of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's key promises during the 2025 federal election campaign was to lift the tanker ban, arguing it was an issue of national security in the face of economic threats from the U.S.

Poilievre is set to speak around 1:30 p.m. MT. CBC News will livestream his remarks at the top of this page.

In 2025, a Conservative MP, Ellis Ross, was elected in Skeena-Bulkley Valley for the first time in the history of the riding, which spans the North Coast, Haida Gwaii and northwest inland B.C.

That, along with the boon of other major projects proposed for the northwest, could signal a changing tide.

There are five marquee projects being platformed by the province and Ottawa in the region, including Ksi Lisims LNG, LNG Canada Phase 2, Prince Rupert Gas Transmission, the Red Chris Mine expansion and the North Coast Transmission Line.

Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth told CBC News he looks forward to seeing what opportunities and benefits a pipeline could bring to the area, whether that means jobs or additional projects.

"Most Canadians are very much in favour of us getting more value out of our resources and being able to ship them elsewhere," he said ahead of today;s announcement.

"There's obviously a lot of consultation that has to go on for whatever route they choose, but if it looks like something is starting to move, I'm very much in favour of seeing that."

Kitimat is highly receptive to exploring future opportunities, he added.

I'm a reporter based in Terrace, though I'm from Haida Gwaii.

Like Andrew, I remember the biggest news story of my high school and early university years was the opposition to Northern Gateway.

Everywhere you looked there was someone with a "No Pipeline, No Tankers, No Problem" T-shirt, and flyers and bumper stickers were available at local businesses. There was also a billboard at the ballpark in Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii, saying "Haida Gwaii vs Enbridge."

I've been speaking to locals from all over the region on their thoughts about the pipeline routes proposed by Alberta that would go through northern B.C.

Former Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach — a prominent local opponent of Northern Gateway, primarily in his role as mayor of Smithers from 2011 to 2019 — says opposition to oil tankers on the North Coast goes back almost 50 years.

He said it began in 1978 with the West Coast Oil Ports Inquiry — a federal commission to evaluate the environmental, social and navigational impacts of a proposed crude oil terminal in Kitimat — and was revived again in 2012 with the Enbridge Joint Review Panel that assessed the potential impacts of Northern Gateway.

The results of that opposition have been reflected in federal policy and legislation like the oil tanker ban, he added.

"It seems like the same lesson has to be learned over and over," Bachrach told me.

Northern Gateway pipeline approved

For much of my early career in journalism, the biggest story in northern B.C. was the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project.

The Conservative government of the day approved the project in 2014 with 209 conditions, but it was subject to mass protests. The video above shows a spontaneous rally of more than 400 people gathering in Vancouver after approval was given. Similar protests were held across the province, and even here in Prince George — a 630-kilometre drive from the proposed terminus in Kitimat, B.C. — anti-Northern Gateway signs were a common sight on lawns and bumper stickers.

As unpopular as Northern Gateway was, it was ultimately the courts that put a stop to its construction.

In what was described as its longest hearing in modern history, the Federal Court of Appeal consolidated multiple legal challenges to the pipeline into one "mega-hearing" that ultimately resulted in the project's approval being overturned.

The court ruled Ottawa had failed to properly consult with First Nations affected by the pipeline's construction, including the Gitxaala, Haisla and Heiltsuk, many of whom remain unequivocal in their opposition to any proposed pipeline today — and prepared to take legal action once more.

What politicians get wrong about the B.C. oil tanker ban

The federal government's pact with Alberta to move ahead with a possible oil pipeline through B.C. has put the political spotlight on the North Coast oil tanker ban. For The National, CBC’s Lyndsay Duncombe explains how the ban works and where both sides of the political debate have it wrong.

So what even is the oil tanker ban along B.C.'s North Coast?

Our colleagues put together the above explainer outlining what the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act actually means, and doesn't mean, for resource exports through B.C.'s coastal waters.

Carney waiting for Alberta's pipeline proposal

Prime Minister Mark Carney says while it's up to Alberta to submit a proposal for an oil pipeline to the B.C. coast 'on or around July 1,' the federal process to decide whether or not to refer a plan to the Major Projects Office would take until October.

Two days ago, Carney declined to say whether he had seen a proposal from Alberta but said he was "very up to speed" on the potential pitch. He reiterated that Ottawa's support for a West Coast pipeline is linked to building the Pathways carbon capture and storage project, to offset some of the emissions from increased oil production.

A video posted to Carney's YouTube channel on Tuesday discussed an energy crisis the country faces, and noted the federal government is developing options for an oil pipeline to the West Coast.

Heather Exner-Pirot, director of natural resources, energy and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said she believes the video is an indication Ottawa is in favour of moving the project forward and delivering on a pipeline, will designate it a nation-building project, and assist with financing in some form.

"Carney spoke in his video about his desire to have a united, strong country, to do things that bring us together," Exner-Pirot said on Tuesday.

"This, for me, is all setting the stage for something that both Alberta and B.C. and Ottawa are all going to get behind on Thursday."

B.C.'s multibillion-dollar deal with Ottawa a 'recognition of our role' in Canada: Eby

As B.C. and Ottawa unveil a multibillion-dollar deal on resource projects and other priorities on Thursday, just hours before Alberta is set to deliver an update on its proposed West Coast oil pipeline, B.C. Premier David Eby said that 'to look at this as an Alberta agreement is again to do a disservice to British Columbia and the remarkable and incredible growth that is happening here.'

Carney and Eby both responded to a question asking if the B.C. announcement was a "quid pro quo," ahead of the prime minister's news conference with Smith later this evening, which is expected to confirm a pipeline project.

Carney responded by calling the announcement a part of "Canada strong day," saying this agreement was about capturing B.C.'s "potential for the province and the country" as a whole.

Eby followed up by saying he's proud of what he called a "B.C. project about B.C. agreements," suggesting that examining the announcement through the lens of an "Alberta agreement" was a "disservice" to B.C.

The Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative — an alliance of First Nations on B.C.'s North Coast — has long voiced its opposition to a pipeline, saying at the time a memorandum of understanding was signed between Alberta and Ottawa that the nations would use "every tool in their toolbox" to keep oil tankers out of their coastal waters.

Marilyn Slett, elected chief of the Heiltsuk Nation and the initiative's president, said the alliance will "never allow oil tankers on our coast" and this pipeline project would "never happen."

"Today is a good day," Slett said in a release this morning.

"Northwest BC is already home to one third of the major projects announced over the past year, and many of these will significantly increase shipping traffic through the North Coast. Together, we can build durable economic partnerships, invest in the infrastructure needed to ensure safe and reliable shipping, and protect our environment — creating lasting benefits for Canadians for generations to come."

The nations would much rather work with Ottawa on projects they feel are nation-building, forward-looking and built in partnership with Indigenous peoples, she said.

Carney was asked what his B.C. announcement meant for Alberta's expected pipeline project. He answered that he would wait until later today to speak on the topic.

The prime minister is holding a news conference with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith this evening, which is expected to confirm a pipeline project.

Though Eby has been firmly opposed to the idea of a pipeline running through to B.C.'s North Coast, he slightly changed his tune today, responding to reporters' questions by saying pipelines are under federal jurisdiction.

Earlier in the news conference in Vancouver this morning, he referred to Carney as a "persuasive" negotiator.

"The federal government was under no obligation to sit down with us to talk about the pipeline. This is an area of federal responsibility under the law. We learned this the hard way on the last pipeline," the B.C. premier said.

Eby said B.C. has stood firm on its position that "there’s no way that we see a new bitumen pipeline going through the north of the province."

He added that Ottawa's commitment to the tanker ban is encouraging.

"We have anxiety about the impact of any new pipeline project — period — on British Columbia’s coast…. There are very clear safeguards in place around spill protection."