Canada’s Conservative leader seeks to expand trade with India, focusing on natural gas, uranium, and lentils

Toronto: The leader of Canada’s principal opposition Conservative Party is looking at enhancing the trade relationship with India, particularly though exports of natural gas, uranium and lentils to the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Mississauga, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said, “My priority is to stand up for our country and our interests over here. I want to sell our natural gas to India. National Bank did a study showing that with India’s growing electricity demand, if we sold them enough gas to supply half of that demand, we can reduce greenhouse gas emission by three times as much as the total emissions of Canada because we’ll displace dirtier coal.”

Poilievre pointed out that Canada had reserves of 1300 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that could be supplying India and other energy-hungry countries, according to a video of the interaction shared by the network, Prime Asia TV.

“I want to promptly approve LNG liquefaction facilities to sell that gas to India and the rest of Asia,” he added.

He also said that his government will seek to sell civilian-grade uranium to India, while pointing out that Saskatchewan, where that mineral is produced, is India’s largest trading partner among the provinces in Canada. He would also seek to increase the export of lentils from Canada to India.

In 2023, total Canadian exports to India were valued at $5.1 billion. Of that, Saskatchewan was responsible for 26 per cent, valued at more than $1.3 billion, with $700 million of that tied directly to agri-food exports.

“Those will be among the priorities I’ll work on with whomever the Indian people choose as their next Prime Minister,” he added.

The Poilievre-led Conservatives have enjoyed a comfortable lead over the incumbent Liberal Party for over a year. According to the poll tracking website 338 Canada, if Federal elections were held now, the Conservatives would garner 43 per cent of the vote translating to 211 seats, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals would get 25 per cent and 71 seats. The majority mark in Canada’s House of Commons is 172. Federal elections are scheduled for October next year.

In October last year, in an interview with the Nepalese media outlet Namaste Radio Toronto, Poilievre said, “We need a professional relationship with the Indian Government. India is the largest democracy on earth. It’s fine to have our disagreements and hold each other accountable but we have to have a professional relationship and that is what I will restore when I’m Prime Minister of this country.”