The House of Commons has voted down a Conservative motion calling on Parliament to endorse the development of a new pipeline corridor to move Alberta bitumen to a deep-water port on British Columbia’s coast for export to Asian markets. The proposal called for federal support for "one or more pipelines enabling the export of at least one million barrels a day of low-emission Alberta bitumen" and urged changes to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, while maintaining requirements for Indigenous consultation. Its text closely mirrored elements of the memorandum of understanding between Ottawa and Alberta that set out conditions for future Pacific pipeline projects, including streamlined approvals and emissions-reduction measures.. The vote was 169-136. Liberal MPs said the proposal would pre-empt ongoing work with provinces, First Nations and industry, and characterized the vote as political positioning rather than policy..Conservatives countered that the motion simply reflected language already agreed to by the federal and Alberta governments, accusing the Liberals of retreating from resource development commitments.They pointed to potential economic gains, including expanded market access and investment in carbon capture, as reasons to move quickly on new infrastructure.The vote, while symbolic, underscores the sharp partisan divide over energy development, export capacity and climate policy. The outcome leaves broader questions over future Pacific pipeline proposals and how Ottawa may approach them unresolved.
