Pierre Poilievre, the candidate for the Conservative Party leadership, says he will revive the natural gas liquefaction project in Quebec that the provincial government canceled last year if elected Prime Minister.

Poilievre said in a statement, "We need to get Canadian oil and gas to market, and that starts by inviting the projects unfairly stopped by this government to apply for approval."

During a press conference in Gatineau, QC, on Tuesday, the Conservative MP specifically promised to reverse the federal government's rejection of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in the Saguenay region of the province, which was canceled by the federal Liberals in February.

He also promised the Énergie Saguenay project by GNL Quebec to build a 780-kilometer natural gas pipeline from northern Ontario to the area north of Quebec City, then build a liquefaction conversion plant before loading it onto ships at the city's port, where the project's cost was estimated at $14 billion.

But Ottawa's rejection of the project came months after the Quebec government initially canceled the project seven months ago, saying it had "more drawbacks than benefits."

Although the Legault government initially supported Énergie Saguenay, opposition voices steadily increased, and the project's financiers became increasingly strained throughout the time the provincial environmental review board analyzed the project.

Eventually, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) decided in a 500-page report that the economic benefits of the project do not outweigh the potential negative environmental and social impacts.

Although the project was already technically dead unless the company submitted a new plan that must be operated through BAPE again, the Canadian federal Impact Assessment Agency (IAAC) issued its study on the project months later, which also canceled this project.

On the other hand, the IAAC report issued in February found that the pipeline and conversion station are likely to cause "significant adverse environmental effects" to both marine mammals and local First Nations communities due to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a statement at the time: "The Énergie Saguenay project underwent a rigorous review that clearly concluded that the project's negative environmental effects cannot be justified in any way."

For his part, Poilievre said if elected Prime Minister, he would reverse the federal government's decision on the project and then push the Quebec government to do the same.

Explaining that, "As with all projects, the province of Quebec will need to approve the permits, but Poilievre will encourage them to do so, given the changing geopolitical landscape and the global need for Canadian energy," as stated in a campaign release.

This Tuesday’s commitment is part of a broader promise by Poilievre's campaign in the leadership race, having promised a month ago to ban all foreign oil imports within five years of being elected Prime Minister by removing government red tape that he says hinders building a pipeline from west to east.

Adding, "The LNG project is just one example of the projects that were shut down, where Canada needs to regain control of its energy."