A bill to repeal the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and allow oil tankers on the north coast of British Columbia. The Conservatives argued the moratorium blocks economic opportunities and that indigenous communities could benefit. The Liberals and Bloc opposed the bill, saying it was oversimplified and ideologically driven, and that the moratorium protects the environment. They debated the financial risks of pipelines and whether Canadians support the energy industry.
“I want to repeal the west coast tanker ban. That ban is blocking pipelines and preventing Canada from exporting oil to Asia. The ban is not based on safety concerns or environmental protection; it's a political decision to shut down Canadian oil production. We need to get rid of the ban and support our energy industry. The Conservatives are here to help with Bill C-264, which will repeal the ban and allow for more oil exports. We should trust marine shipping experts to safely transport oil and reject exaggerated fears about the dangers of tankers on the west coast.”
“I'm going to pretend to care about consultations with indigenous people by asking if you've done any. I want to make you look bad by implying you haven't consulted with them enough.”
“I want the government to stop blocking pipelines. Trudeau vetoed a pipeline and ignored agreements. He messed up TMX. Now we have a tanker ban that only blocks crude oil exports. It's a bad signal. Trudeau's words about Canada being an energy superpower are meaningless while he blocks energy exports.”
“I talk a lot about history to avoid the topic. I don't want this bill to pass. I think it will make it harder to build pipelines. My party expanded oil pipelines while protecting the environment, but I won't say that right now. I want to use big words and talk down to my opponents. I want everyone to vote against this bill. I want to cheer for our environmental programs. I want my party to look good. That's all I care about.”
“I talk about a book to appear smart. I think supporting oil is an ideological mindset. I notice my colleague supports pipelines. I want to protect my favorite industry. I'm upset the government wants to invest in a different industry than mines. I think any bill that helps oil is absurd. Companies should pay for their own pipelines. Oil companies are greedy. They cut jobs and don't build pipelines. I don't want to remove environmental rules to make it easier for oil companies. I respect one member, but not his party.”
“I speak from my personal experience. We tried many things to get out of poverty. Environmental rules didn't work for us. We tried other industries but they failed. Then we started looking at oil. We followed a process. I don't like how this government is ignoring first nations. They didn't consult us. That's been in place since 2004. I think the Liberals have doublespeak. I think the Prime Minister made promises he didn't keep. I don't like their plan. I list some things they did. I think they fight against their own agreements. They want to diversify but keep making us depend on the US. I explain the tanker ban. I list some details. Tanker traffic won't change. I think this ban doesn't really reduce risk. I list some examples. There are still tankers from Alaska to Washington. I think we depend too much on the US for gas. Floods in BC showed this. I think the government should address our vulnerability. I think the penalty for not following this moratorium is high. It doesn't address the real issues.”
“I'm filling time with kind words about how important the environment is. We want to protect the environment, but we also need economic growth. We don't want to change this law right now. We might change the law later if a specific project needs it. For now, we should just keep the current protections and not rush to repeal this law. Vote no on the other guy's bill.”
“The government should stop blocking pipelines. Saying no to pipelines hurts our finances. Industry won't spend billions on carbon capture and a pipeline that goes nowhere. The government allows tankers on the east coast but not the west coast. That's not fair. Approve pipelines to bring money and energy to Canada.”
