LILLEY: Carney speaks out of both sides of his mouth on pipelines

Article content

Mark Carney may be new to Parliament, but he’s already learned the fine arts of evading questions and speaking out of both sides of his mouth. During question period on Wednesday, his first, Carney was asked directly about his position on the oil and gas sector and specifically pipelines.

A straightforward question should get a straightforward answer.

“Will he tell Canadians that pipelines are part of his values by repealing Bill C 69 the no more pipelines bill?” acting Conservative leader Andrew Scheer asked Carney at the start of question period.

Anyone looking for clarity from the new PM was in for disappointment.

“Canada’s new government, Mr. Speaker, is acting immediately to grow this economy, one Canadian economy out of 13 nation building projects. One project office, working with the provinces to cooperate, we expect the support from the members opposite,” Carney said.

That’s a response, but it’s not an answer. His reply doesn’t tell you anything about his thinking on the matter or the position of his government.

For the past several weeks, Carney and his ministers have been sending mixed messages on this file.

On May 13, the day cabinet was sworn in, Carney gave an interview to CTV expressing some support for a pipeline. The next day, Canadian Identity Minister Steven Guilbeault said Canada doesn’t need more pipelines, or oil, and a few days later, his Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc said there was no support for pipelines in Quebec.

Recommended video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

His Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson, gave a speech in Calgary teasing at support for pipelines, but his Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin said in the House on Wednesday that the government will support pipelines where there is consensus. Here’s what you need to know, there is no consensus for a cross-country pipeline due to opposition in Quebec, but also, Premier David Eby, of British Columbia, said recently he doesn’t support more pipeline projects through his province.

“It’s remarkable. In some circles, this conversation starts and ends with pipelines,” Carney said Tuesday in an interview with CBC.

I wouldn’t say this conversation starts and ends with pipelines, but I would say you’d be hard pressed to know the position of the Carney government on this issue. Growing Canada’s resource economy and expanding our ability to ship to new markets other than the United States is key to our country’s economic well-being.

For the last 10 years, we’ve had a Liberal government that actively sought to suppress the oil and gas industry. They got in the way of pipeline projects proposed by the private sector, had to buy another pipeline after their policies made it untenable; and they also passed Bill C-69, an emissions cap and a West coast tanker ban.

So, people are looking to understand the position of the new Carney government and it’s not easy because the man won’t answer a simple question in a straightforward manner.

He says he wants Canada to be a “clean and conventional energy superpower,” but he never defines the term. He will make a statement that could be taken to be supportive of pipelines and prattle on at length making statements calling all of what you previously heard into question, all the while never being clear or concise.

Canada’s natural resource industries – oil and gas, mining, forestry, agriculture – are the biggest drivers of our GDP and our productivity — that’s in spite of the last decade. The workers in these industries and the executives running companies in these fields and making investment decisions need clear answers.

They need stability and an understanding of the direction this government is taking.

Instead, they are listening in amazement at the convoluted answers and contradictory statements from this government.

Next week, Carney goes to Saskatoon for a meeting with all of the premiers. That would be a very good time for him to offer all Canadians a bit of clarity.