Murray Wood: 'Jurisdiction' a very important word to keep in mind during pipeline debate
Murray Wood says jurisdiction is an important consideration in debates around a proposed pipeline, but as much as oppone...
OTTAWA — Members of Parliament voted Tuesday to defeat a Conservative motion aimed at pinning down the Liberals on whether they support building a pipeline to the B.C. coast.
The motion was defeated by a margin of 196 to 139 in the House of Commons Tuesday evening, with Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs voting against it.
The motion, put forward by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, said MPs support construction of a pipeline to carry Alberta bitumen to the coast, along with an “appropriate amendment” to the legislation that bans most oil tankers from the area off the northern coast of British Columbia.
The motion is a more pointed version of the memorandum of understanding Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney signed last month.
That deal, however, speaks of amending the tanker ban “if necessary” and cites environmental actions Alberta has to agree to take in order to get approval for a pipeline project.
Poilievre said he wanted to force the Liberals to take a clear position on a pipeline.
“We need this pipeline because it will make for stronger take-home pay, it will make for affordable living, and it will make for a sovereign, self-reliant economy,” he said in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon.
On that point, at least, the government seems to agree.
“I will say now and I will say clearly on behalf of our government, we support a pipeline. We support the (memorandum of understanding), we support the entirety of the MOU,” said Alberta Liberal MP Corey Hogan.
But Hogan argued there was a risk to even having the debate and told reporters the motion was “a trap” set for the Liberals.
A yes vote, he said, “looks like we are undermining the rights of Indigenous Peoples, it looks like we’re undermining conversations with B.C.,” while a no vote is “designed to look like we don’t support the pipeline.”
He argued a no vote also could send a negative signal to potential investors. The Alberta agreement stipulates that any pipeline should be financed and built by the private sector; no proponent has come forward publicly with a proposal yet.
Speaking to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning, the Alberta premier downplayed concerns about the outcome of the vote.
“Whichever way those votes turn out, just know that the prime minister and I remain committed to implementing the terms of the MOU,” said Smith.
“There’s always politics that happens in legislatures, so I wouldn’t take whatever outcome there is as any indication other than some politics that are happening.”
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson called Poilievre’s motion “a cheap political stunt” and a cynical ploy to divide the Liberal caucus.
He also denied there are divisions in caucus on the matter and insisted “caucus is supportive of the entire MOU” — even though Steven Guilbeault quit the Liberal cabinet over the Alberta deal.
Guilbeault wrote an opinion piece in the Toronto Star and La Presse on Tuesday morning calling the deal a step backward in the fight against climate change and “a grand bargain that feels like a fire sale.”
The Conservatives tried Tuesday afternoon to entice Liberals to vote for their motion by adding more language from the Alberta deal on carbon capture, consultation with Indigenous Peoples and engagement with the B.C. government.
Government House leader Steven MacKinnon called the Tory amendment “a train wreck.”
He acknowledged the difference of opinion with Guilbeault on the MOU and said there are “many different points of view” in the Liberal caucus.
On Tuesday morning, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull Masty said Poilievre’s motion was “clearly an insult towards Indigenous Peoples.”
Across the aisle, Conservative MP Ellis Ross said he’s tired of the government “lecturing us on Aboriginal issues.”
His caucus colleague Billy Morin said the Liberals “play games with Indigenous communities and exploit First Nations as a political tool. They talk endlessly about reconciliation but what do Indigenous communities actually get?”
Haida Nation President Jason Alsop, who is also known as Gaagwiis, said it’s not a game to him. He and Christine Smith-Martin, CEO of Coastal First Nations, flew to Ottawa to witness the debate in Parliament.
“A lot of this is just politics, but why we’re here today is because this is our home. Any of these conversations happening out here in Ottawa without us being part of it, we take it very seriously,” he said.
Tuesday’s vote on the Conservative motion was non-binding. The government has agreed to consult with Indigenous leadership on any possible pipeline project.
The Coastal First Nations — a group representing First Nations on the North Pacific coast including Haida, Gitxaała and Nuxalk that advocates for sustainable jobs and the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest — has said it’s opposed to any pipeline and any changes to the tanker ban.
“This tanker ban and variations of it have been in existence for over 50 years, and that’s got to say volumes,” Smith-Martin said.
She also said her group is in discussions with the government on having Carney and cabinet ministers visit their communities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2025.
— With files from Lisa Johnson in Edmonton
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
