Finance Committee on Oct. 20th, 2025

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Thanks, Chair.

Minister, are pipelines in the national interest of the country—yes or no?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

As I answered in the last one, we have the Building Canada Act, which sets out a process and criteria for deciding—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

I heard your answer from before, which was a non-answer. This is a very clear question: Are pipelines in the national interest of the country? It's a simple yes or no.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

It's not a simple question that you're asking, because you're asking a question that.... I mean, my answer's quite simple as well: We have the Building Canada Act, which sets out criteria—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Respectfully, it's not an answer.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

—and that sets out a process, so if there is a—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Let's put this into context, Minister. The Keystone pipeline, would you support it—yes or no?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

That's not a decision I have before me. What we've been talking about when we've talked about projects and national interest—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

The decision could possibly come up very shortly. Would you support the Keystone XL pipeline, yes or no?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I'm not going to answer a hypothetical. I will say that we have a process to decide which projects are in the national interest. That's what Canadians want from us.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Would pipelines fall under a project of national interest?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

If there is a project that meets the five criteria, has indigenous consultation—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Would that include pipelines? I have not heard you say “pipeline” even once today.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

What I am saying is that there are many different kinds of projects that are being proposed as projects of national interest. It's really an exciting time, actually, for Canada to be able to envision what our future can look like.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

If one of those projects happened to be oil and gas pipelines, would that be something your government would support, yes or no?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Again, it's a hypothetical until there's a fully designed project that's being put forward that has gone through indigenous consultation.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Given that, your track record says otherwise. When the northern gateway pipeline was before your government's cabinet table, it had overwhelming support from indigenous communities, yet your government, at the cabinet table, decided to cancel that project. It's a little hard for us to believe your government has now had a change of heart and wants to somehow build projects that would be to the benefit of Canada when your government has also turned away our allies when they came here for our energy.

Once again, would your government be in support of an oil and gas pipeline if it were in the national interest and before you today?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

What I'm saying is that I can't provide you with an evaluation of a hypothetical. What I can tell you is that I believe Canadians would be happy to see there is a very clear process with very clear criteria on which to judge it.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

It's very interesting that you avoid the word “pipeline” and will not answer the question. It makes it very clear that you're against pipelines and oil and gas.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

It's interesting that you don't want to talk about all of the amazing projects we can build.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Minister, would you support the constitutional power of the federal government to ensure interprovincial resource projects that are in the national interest will be built?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I'm sorry, Chair. I have a point of order.

The line of questioning doesn't have anything to do with the bill we're contemplating here, which is Bill C-4. I know you've allowed a lot of latitude for members, but it's continuous. It doesn't seem to have any relation to the consumer carbon tax, which is being repealed here. This is what the Conservatives always wanted. It's like a dream come true for them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Mr. Turnbull.

Mr. Kelly, go ahead on the same point of order.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

The witness has engaged in this line of questioning, so it has become part of the substance of it and it's consistent with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Mr. Kelly.

Mr. Hallan, please continue.