TC Energy CEO François Poirier has laid down the LNG gauntlet.
Speaking to a gathering of the country’s economic elites on Thursday, Poirier delivered a forceful message to political leaders and Canadians alike: Now is the moment for Canada to assert itself as a global energy powerhouse. And it’s not too late to become one of the biggest natural gas exporters to Asia.
Speaking at a sold-out Canadian Club event in Toronto, Poirier argued that the country’s long-delayed liquefied natural gas (LNG) ambitions can still be realized, but only with bold political action and regulatory reform.
As the head of TC Energy — the Calgary-based operator of the world’s largest pipeline network — he is among the most influential voices in the Canadian energy sector and indeed, North America.
Poirier’s speech landed at the midway point of the election campaign, just as LNG Canada enters its final testing phase. The project is expected to begin shipping LNG by mid-2025, finally giving Canadian producers direct access to overseas markets after decades of relying almost entirely on US buyers.
”We need bold ambition, not middling intent.”TC Energy CEO François Poirier
Little surprise, energy security and interprovincial trade barriers are dominating the political discourse as the campaign heads into the final stretch, particularly out West, while the US tariff threat ebbs and flows by the hour.
“We stand before an extraordinary opportunity to transform our economy and establish our country as the number one LNG exporter to Asia,” Poirier told the crowd. “Even beyond the West Coast projects currently proposed, we have the potential for so much more — but we need bold ambition, not middling intent.”
TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline is the backbone of the LNG Canada project, supplying natural gas from northeast BC and Alberta to the Kitimat terminal. The facility, a joint venture between Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and Kogas, began its cooldown phase earlier this month, a critical step before commercial LNG exports begin later this year.
Poirier warned that despite the long-awaited progress, Canada is still playing catch-up to its largest trading partner, and now biggest competitor, in an unprecedented trade war.
“Fifteen years ago, we were at the starting blocks with the United States. Today, they’re the world’s largest LNG exporter. We’re only now commissioning our first facility,” he said.
He issued a direct challenge to political leaders ahead of the April 28 federal vote: Prioritize LNG development, streamline approvals, and assert national economic sovereignty through energy.
His call aligns with a letter co-signed with five other energy CEOs and addressed to major party leaders including Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, Yves-François Blanchet, and Jagmeet Singh.
In it, the leaders of Canada’s largest energy firms urged swift action to expand energy infrastructure and position the country’s oil and gas as a force for good globally — both in combating energy poverty and in reducing emissions through coal-to-gas switching in Asia.
Canada — mostly Alberta and BC — exports roughly 8.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day to the US, making diversification a key national goal even as it is subject to punitive 10% tariffs under the guise of a national fentanyl emergency south of the border.
The real reason for US president Donald Trump’s overt protectionist moves is more likely meant to give higher-cost Alaskan gas a competitive edge over Canada.
No surprise, the energy debate has spilled over to the campaign trail.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre recently pledged to fast-track Phase II of LNG Canada and proposed a sweeping ‘One-and-Done’ approval process for major resource projects. Critics say the expansion is already near final approval, but the pledge signals rising political momentum around energy development on all coasts in all directions — except south.
Poilievre’s plan would repeal the federal Impact Assessment Act (C-69) and eliminate the emissions cap on oil and gas. His rhetoric has positioned energy as central to Canada’s economic independence, echoing themes in Poirier’s address.
While the federal Liberals and NDP have remained more cautious, emphasizing climate commitments and regulatory oversight, Poirier argued that it is possible to grow Canadian energy exports responsibly — which is necessary to maintain national sovereignty in an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape.
“If we allow inertia to persist, we risk more than delays,” he urged.
“We risk ceding market share to our competitors. We risk entrusting our energy future to others. And we lose the opportunity for true economic sovereignty — something that should be standard for a resource-rich country like Canada.”