QUESTION PERIOD — Natural Resources
Export of Liquefied Natural Gas
February 25, 2026
Government leader, for over a decade, your Liberal government has been telling Canadians there’s no business case for LNG, or liquefied natural gas, and no need for LNG infrastructure in this country. During that period, the United States increased its LNG exports from roughly 500 million cubic feet per day to more than 15 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, becoming the world’s largest exporter of LNG energy.
Senator Moreau, Canada is home to one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, yet our overseas shipment of Canadian LNG occurred only seven months ago. Why has your government dismissed the business case for Canadian LNG for over a decade now, putting us in the hole and behind other competitors? Now, all of a sudden, we are being boxed out of the international market.
The Government of Canada has launched the new Major Projects Office as part of the Building Canada Act. This office will serve as a single point of contact for government proponents and Indigenous communities to submit their proposals for nation-building projects that will grow and transform Canada’s economy. As far as the government is concerned, if LNG proposals are to be included as major projects, they will have to follow the path of the office that has been put in place.
Your government often speaks about trade diversification in the Indo-Pacific and deeper economic integration with Europe. Meanwhile, more than 76% of U.S. LNG exports are destined for Europe and Asia. Why should Canadians have confidence in this new Liberal government and its ability to position Canada as a serious LNG exporter when all the old Liberal government ministers who questioned the business case for LNG are still sitting in the Prime Minister’s cabinet to this day? They denied the investment case for a decade and are now attempting to champion Canadian LNG. You have to —
Thank you, Senator Housakos.
I think that the business case of the Prime Minister concerning trade diversification is very good. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister has signed 12 new strategic agreements across four continents, opening up 2.2 billion new customers for Canadian businesses. We have new free trade deals with Equador and Indonesia, a defence procurement agreement with the European Union, a critical mineral agreement with Germany and a new strategic partnership with China. Don’t you think that somebody in the LNG world will think that those agreements —
Thank you, Senator Moreau.
