Conservatives Call on PM to Stop Opposing Property Rights Protections
Poilievre tells Liberals to vote for a Conservative motion instructing federal lawyers to put property rights first in court arguments, protect homeowners in deals with First Nations
North Vancouver, BC – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre travelled to the Lower Mainland to drum up support for a Parliamentary motion to protect property rights to be voted on Monday, May 25, 2026.
“Conservatives are proud to fight for families and businesses facing uncertainty in the wake of Liberals signing deals that threaten private property and banning federal lawyers from putting property rights first in the Cowichan federal court case,” said Poilievre.
Earlier this month, following previous calls for action from the Official Opposition, Conservatives tabled a motion in the House of Commons demanding the Liberals protect Canadians affected by the Cowichan Tribes v Canada ruling and Musqueam Rights Recognition Agreement.
The motion, to be put to a vote on May 25, calls on the Liberal government to reverse a federal litigation guideline that bans lawyers from putting property rights first and instead require those lawyers to argue that private property comes before all other forms of title (also known as “extinguishment”).
This was the government’s position in the Cowichan case prior to 2018, when they formally abandoned the extinguishment argument in line with the Attorney General of Canada’s Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples, a decision which Prime Minister Mark Carney has refused to reverse.
Other proposals in the Conservative motion include explicit property protections in all future agreements with First Nations, a special committee to study how to protect property rights, and a plan to be published within 30 days on how the government can protect Canadians affected by the Cowichan ruling and Musqueam deal.
“With land claims covering almost the entire province, British Columbians cannot afford a federal government that is not squarely in their corner,” the Conservative Leader added.
“The Prime Minister is not a passive player, subject to the whims of the courts,” concluded Poilievre. “It is his government that gives litigation guidelines, negotiates agreements and sets policy on these issues. If he truly believes property rights are ‘fundamental’, he will do what is in his power to protect them.”