The Carney government will vote against a Conservative motion on Tuesday that urges Ottawa to endorse a bitumen pipeline to the Pacific Coast, according to a senior federal source.
The motion, though non-binding, calls for support of “one or more pipelines” capable of exporting at least one million barrels per day of lower-emission Alberta bitumen to Asian markets, while modifying the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and maintaining Indigenous consultation obligations.
While the language mirrors last month’s federal-Alberta memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a potential West Coast export route, the government argues that the motion strips out essential components negotiated in that agreement. Among those missing elements, officials say, are industrial carbon pricing, Indigenous co-ownership options, and meaningful engagement with British Columbia.
A senior source contends that the Conservatives’ proposal “ignores critical elements of the MOU,” and therefore the Liberals will oppose it. The source also accused Conservatives of attempting to sow division despite ongoing U.S.–Canada trade tensions.
Under the MOU, Alberta committed to pursuing an industrial carbon price with a floor of $130 per tonne by April 2026 and advancing the Pathways carbon capture project. In exchange, Ottawa agreed to pause clean electricity rules in the province, not move ahead with an oil-and-gas emissions cap, and, if necessary, consider exemptions to the federal tanker ban.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly said any pipeline project will require a private-sector proponent, not simply political will.
Alberta Liberal MP Corey Hogan called the motion “designed to provoke and divide,” warning that either a yes-or-no result could be misinterpreted—either as disregarding First Nations consultation or as a lack of seriousness about building the pipeline itself.
Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer, meanwhile, maintained that the motion is intended to provide clarity on the MOU and give Liberals a chance to endorse their own language. He stressed that Conservatives would not enforce higher industrial carbon pricing on provinces and argued that federal policy should not impede energy construction.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has previously described the energy pact as a major win for her province.
