Liberals keep B.C. oil tanker ban in place, vote down Conservative bill

The Liberal government in British Columbia has maintained its ban on oil tankers, rejecting a Conservative bill aimed at repealing it. The vote took place during the second reading in the House of Commons, with MPs aligning along party lines; only the Conservatives were in favor of advancing the bill to the committee stage. Prime Minister Mark Carney participated personally in the vote, having reached an agreement with the B.C. government to sustain the ban earlier this summer.

The legislation, known as the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, restricts tankers from transporting over 12,500 metric tonnes of crude oil in specific northern coastal regions of British Columbia. Conservatives contended that the law is detrimental to Canada's economic growth by inhibiting the potential for oil exports from the province's northern coast to global markets.

Initially, Alberta had planned for the Pacific Link oil pipeline to transport crude from the northern coast; however, the pipeline's route was adjusted this summer to bypass the restricted areas due to the existing ban.