Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault resigns Montreal seat over carbon tax and pipeline policy
Guilbeault officially left his Laurier-Sainte-Marie seat Friday, citing disagreement with Prime Minister Mark Carney's shift on energy and environmental policy.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault officially resigned his Montreal seat on Friday, adding to a wave of parliamentary departures this summer.
Guilbeault, the MP for Laurier-Sainte-Marie, said he is leaving government on a matter of principle because the party's direction on energy and the environment changed under Prime Minister Mark Carney's leadership. Ottawa dropped the consumer carbon tax and endorsed building new pipelines out of Alberta.
The resignation follows several other recent departures from Parliament. Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall, representing Yorkton-Melville in Saskatchewan since 2015, is also expected to officially resign this week after announcing her plans in June. Nelson Pohl will run under the Conservative banner in her riding for the next election.
Two MPs stepped down this summer to run in Quebec's provincial election: Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay resigned June 19 to run for the Parti Québécois, and Alexandre Boulerice resigned his Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie seat on August 25 to run for Québec solidaire. Ontario Conservative MP Larry Brock has announced plans to step down September 18 to return to the Crown prosecutor's office in Brantford. Ontario Liberal Shaun Chen resigned August 15, attributing his departure to injuries sustained in a car accident last fall that caused significant health issues.
Prime Minister Carney is set to schedule another six byelections for the coming months. Under federal rules, the prime minister must call a byelection after a seat becomes vacant but has a window of 11 to 180 days in which to do so. The election period must last from 36 to 50 days.
The Liberals swept three April byelections earlier this year—two in the GTA and one in Quebec—to replace former cabinet ministers Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair, as well as fill the Terrebonne riding after the Supreme Court of Canada nullified the result from the general election over a clerical error on mail-in ballot return addresses.
By the numbers
How many MPs have announced departures from Parliament this summer?
At least six MPs have announced departures: Steven Guilbeault (Laurier-Sainte-Marie), Cathay Wagantall (Yorkton-Melville), Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay (resigned June 19), Alexandre Boulerice (resigned August 25), Larry Brock (plans to step down September 18), and Shaun Chen (resigned August 15).
What policy changes prompted Guilbeault's resignation?
Steven Guilbeault resigned from his Laurier-Sainte-Marie seat because the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Mark Carney dropped the consumer carbon tax and endorsed building new pipelines out of Alberta, shifts Guilbeault opposed on principle.
