Even as US president Donald Trump wages economic war on Canada, Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney is under scrutiny for delivering contrasting messages regarding pipeline development in Canada — depending on the official language and region of his audience.
That’s because during Carney asserted that, if elected prime minister, he would utilize all federal powers, including emergency measures, to expedite major energy projects essential for Canada’ economic growth during a speech in Kelowna, British Columbia last month.
In it, he emphasized the necessity of building new pipelines for conventional energy, stating: “We, as a nation, need to build some new pipelines for conventional energy.”
But just five days later, in a French-language interview with Radio-Canada, Carney conveyed a different stance when questioned about “imposing” pipelines on Quebec.
In French, he responded, “I would never impose (a pipeline) on Quebec,” while highlighting the importance of provincial and First Nations consultations before proceeding with such projects.
Carney made the comments after both Quebec Premier François Legault and Bloc Québécois Yves-François Blanchet both essentially vetoed oil and natural gas pipelines transiting La Belle even though opinion polls show residents support both.
The discrepancy has sparked criticism from political opponents, notably Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has vowed to build an “east-to-west” Canadian economy in response to recent US tariffs.
“Don’t believe him in any language,” he said, underscoring concerns about Carney’s reliability on the issue.
Carney will no doubt be put to the test when he comes to Calgary for a campaign stop on Tuesday during the final days of the Liberal leadership campaign that wraps up on Sunday when he is widely expected to become the next prime minister of Canada.
Nonetheless, Carney’s apparent contradiction has drawn sharp criticism from other Conservative figures. Manitoba Conservative MP Dan Mazier highlighted the inconsistency by sharing a split-screen video contrasting Carney’s statements, accusing him of tailoring his message to different audiences.
In the context of escalating trade tensions with Trump’s imposition of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, Poilievre has pledged to strengthen Canada’s internal economy by removing internal trade barriers.
On Tuesday, he again proposed constructing pipelines from Alberta to the eastern provinces and LNG plants on the West coast, aiming to reduce reliance on US markets and bolster national economic resilience.
Poilievre’s strategy includes abolishing interprovincial trade barriers and repealing environmental assessment laws that hinder energy infrastructure projects. He asserts that such measures are crucial to counteract external economic threats and promote national unity through enhanced east-west economic integration.
“Now they are even more necessary,” he said. “Building Canada is tough and so are we.”
