VICTORIA, B.C.: The Conservative Caucus of British Columbia is calling on the B.C. government to stop standing in the way of responsibly developed Canadian energy and to quit “picking winners and losers” across our natural resource sectors.
“The global demand for all forms of energy continues to grow, this includes oil. The Eby government can continue playing pipeline politics, or they can support responsibly produced Canadian energy,” said Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition. “British Columbians deserve a government that will champion Canadian natural resources, not undermine them.”
Halford said the province’s posture toward pipelines and major resource projects is driving away proponents and adding uncertainty for investors throughout our economy.
“Premier Eby keeps saying ‘no proponent, no route, no money,’ then turns around and erects new roadblocks while shifting all responsibility to Ottawa and Alberta,” Neufeld continued. “There will never be a proponent or private-sector financier until the Eby government stops standing in the way.”
Stop Picking Winners and Losers
The Official Opposition is urging the government to end its habit of favouring certain resource players while freezing out others. All of them are in demand and all of them support B.C. jobs, local businesses, Indigenous partnerships, and provincial revenues.
“Government’s role is to set clear, consistent, rules, then get out of the way,” said Larry Neufeld, MLA for Peace River South and Critic for Oil, Gas, and LNG. “When Victoria anoints some projects as acceptable and smothers others for political interests, we lose investment across the board. That’s economic self-sabotage.”
Background: What the Premier Has Been Saying
In recent months, Premier David Eby has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of a coastal pipeline by claiming there is “no proponent, no route, no money,” while defending policies, like a continued tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast, that make private proposals almost impossible to advance. He has characterized a prospective project as a “communications exercise” and an “energy vampire,” and suggested even discussing it distracts from “real projects” (Global News, Nov. 27, 2025; CityNews Vancouver, Nov. 21 & 27, 2025; Hansard, Oct. 6 & Nov. 20, 2025).
“Premier Eby can’t keep slamming the door and then wonder why no one knocks,” said Neufeld. “B.C. can choose to lead on this file, or we can watch jobs, revenue, and opportunities continue to go elsewhere,’ said Neufeld.
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
