This week in QP: When they disagreed about a pipeline

A pipeline called Northern Gateway absolutely obsessed the opposition this week. Everyone saw this coming. Late last year, the government gave itself six months to review the proposed pipeline that would carry bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to a port at Kitimat, BC. The Tories conditionally approved the pipeline, though they refused to use such strong language—if that’s strong—in the House of Commons. The NDP mustered all the strength of its BC caucus to challenge that decision.

Before Gateway took the spotlight, Peter MacKay preoccupied the House with comments he made about a recent Tory appointment to Quebec’s court of appeal. He initially slipped in Question Period, and spoke of Robert Mainville as if he’d been appointed to Canada’s top court.

On Tuesday, the opposition made its final pleas to the government on the B.C. pipeline that would get the go ahead later that day. On Wednesday, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair stared down BC Tories and dared any of them to openly reject a pipeline he says the province doesn’t want. The Tories had their talking points down pat by Thursday. Parliamentary secretary Kelly Block insisted that the government didn’t give a thumbs up to Northern Gateway, and that Enbridge has a lot of work to do to make its case.

Just as the debate over Enbridge’s controversial pipeline reaches a fever pitch in the Commons, parliamentarians vacate the chamber for the summer. It’s time for a change of scenery. For B.C. MPs, t’s time to continue their pipeline battle closer to home.