By The Canadian Press

Opposition parties call for clarity from government as MPs set to debate Iran war

Mar 9, 2026 | 9:14 AM

OTTAWA — Opposition parties from across the political spectrum are demanding the Liberal government clarify its position on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran as they prepare for a debate in the House of Commons Monday evening.

The Prime Minister’s Office has said Mark Carney won’t be present for the take-note debate about the conflict and its impact on Canadians abroad.

NDP interim leader Don Davies slammed the government’s communications on the war so far as “unprincipled, contradictory and incoherent” and said Carney’s decision to skip the debate is unacceptable.

“Canadians deserve to have a clear statement from the prime minister in this House, to be accountable not only to parliamentarians but to the Canadian public, and to clarify what the position of Canada and his Liberal government really is,” Davies told reporters Monday.

He added the NDP believes there have been “numerous, repeated and continuing war crimes” in the conflict to date, citing the bombing of hospitals, desalination plants and schools in Iran.

The Conservatives support U.S. and Israeli efforts to overturn the Iranian regime and replace it with a democratically elected government, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said.

Poilievre accused Carney of hiding from Monday’s debate.

“The prime minister has taken four different positions on war in the Middle East in four days,” he said.

He urged the government to focus on what it can control.

“Here at home, this war should not be used as an excuse for higher food and gas prices. We have the energy here at home, we have the food here at home to make life affordable,” he said.

Bloc Québécois House leader Christine Normandin said Carney’s decision not to join the debate follows a pattern her party has observed throughout his first year in office — “a disinterest, at best, for parliamentary work and for answering questions and for accountability.”

Carney has come in for criticism over a series of shifting statements he has made about the war since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

Some of his own Liberal caucus members publicly expressed unease after he released a statement in support of the airstrikes the day they began.

Carney stepped back from that position days later by stating the airstrikes likely violate international law, insisting he expressed support for the mission “with regret” and calling for a diplomatic end to the conflict.

In Australia last Wednesday, Carney said that while the prospect of Canadian participation in the conflict was a “fundamental hypothetical,” he could not “categorically rule out participation,” especially if allies call for help.

Defence chief Gen. Jennie Carignan said Friday that she was in discussions with European military leaders about possibly providing support to countries in the Persian Gulf defending themselves from Iranian attacks.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said Monday that Canada was not consulted about the U.S.-Israeli strikes in advance.

“Canada has not participated and Canada will not be participating,” he said.

The NDP is calling on the government to clearly state that Canadian troops and resources will not be used “in the prosecution of this illegal war,” Davies said.

Poilievre said Parliament should be able to assess any request for Canadian participation in the conflict, noting that he was not aware of any such request.

The Conservatives also have called for an emergency debate on how the conflict is affecting global energy supplies.

“The war in the Middle East has caused an energy scramble,” Poilievre said, adding that allies are looking for alternative sources of energy and Canada is not able to provide it.

He called for changes to laws he claimed are preventing Canadian energy from reaching markets in Europe and elsewhere. He called for the termination of the industrial carbon price and the repeal of the West Coast tanker ban.

“I’ll work with the prime minister to get these things done,” he said.

Poilievre also said the Carney government needs to use the powers it granted itself through the One Canadian Economy Act — the first bill passed by the Liberal government last summer, with the support of the Tories.

The law allows the government to quickly approve major infrastructure projects that are deemed to be in the national interest. A number of proposed projects have been referred to the Major Projects Office.

As global oil prices surged, finance ministers from the G7 countries met virtually on Monday with the head of the International Energy Agency to discuss co-ordinating their approach to strategic petroleum reserves.

“We’re following the situation very carefully with respect to markets, with respect to supplies, with respect to stock,” said Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, adding the G7’s unity should reassure markets.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2026.

— With files from Kyle Duggan

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press