QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council Office
Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding
December 3, 2025
Senator Moreau, media reports about Steven Guilbeault quitting cabinet clearly show that Prime Minister Carney’s memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Alberta was not approved by cabinet. One article of the events last Tuesday said, “Then [Guilbeault] headed into cabinet, where the agreement with Alberta wasn’t discussed at all.”
In fact, when Guilbeault — still a cabinet minister — heard about the rumoured MOU with Alberta, he had to ask the Prime Minister’s Office for a briefing on it since he did not have information from being at the cabinet table. Senator Moreau, there are two possibilities: The Government of Canada’s MOU was either not properly approved or it is completely meaningless. Which is it?
The short answer is none of it. The government, specifically the Prime Minister and the Minister of Indigenous Services, has been very clear in its commitment to its legal obligation to consult with Indigenous Peoples; it is within the MOU. I think that if you were here yesterday, it’s not something that is useless. It is very important.
The MOU lays out clearly that the federal government has a fiduciary duty to consult. It states:
Canada and Alberta are committed to respecting Aboriginal and Treaty rights, engaging in early, consistent, and meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples, in a manner that promotes reconciliation, and respects the rights and cultures of Indigenous Peoples while advancing economic opportunities through Indigenous ownership and partnerships.
The MOU with Alberta is for Canada’s future, particularly the economy and the environment as well; it’s not useless.
You didn’t answer if cabinet approved it. Prime Minister Carney seems to fundamentally misunderstand his role as Prime Minister. He signs fake executive order-type documents in front of the press like he’s a president. He makes sudden announcements without consultation like he’s a CEO. And now he’s acting like a king, signing documents that bind the Crown without consulting the very cabinet that forms the basis of our government. If this MOU is not being discussed at cabinet meetings, then what the heck is?
You probably do not believe the premise of your question. You certainly know that the MOU has been discussed within cabinet first, and it’s very important not only for Alberta but also for Indigenous Peoples, for the economy of this country and for the environment of this country.
If you really worry about the economy, the environment and the future of Canada, why do you say such things that are not accurate?
