OTTAWA IS NOT STANDING IN WAY OF ENERGY EAST
Government committed to pipeline approval, Amarjeet Sohi writes
As Albertans, we all agree that resource development and our capacity to get it to market are crucial to our country’s economic success. We all know too well that the past few years have been hard on our families and businesses and that employment is still a precarious concept for too many Albertans.
Let me start by reiterating that our government’s commitment to getting Canada’s resources to market has not and will not waver. Our actions have shown this to be true. Late last year, we approved the construction of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline and Enbridge’s Line 3 and construction is about to begin on the Keystone XL pipeline. These three major pipelines are the first pipelines to begin construction in Canada in more than a decade, and together with the natural gas pipelines approved, will allow for more of our natural resources to be transported safely and efficiently.
I am proud to advocate for the approval of these large infrastructure projects that will create thousands of well-paying middle-class jobs for families in my home province.
Our commitment to getting our resources to market has always come with the understanding that the environment and the economy must go hand-in-hand. During the last election, we clearly stated that major energy projects must be reviewed by a process that carries the confidence of Canadians. That is why, in January 2016, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change announced an interim approach to allow the federal government to make decisions on major resource projects while the review to establish a new permanent process is undertaken.
As suggested by the Journal’s editorial, this interim approach has not been an impediment to development. This interim framework has allowed our government to approve the Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 pipelines as well as the Nova Gas transmission line and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Contrary to assumptions made in the editorial, our government will review the Energy East Pipeline under that same fair and transparent process, which ensures a review based on science and consultation. This process also takes into account our government’s goals regarding the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. When Energy East reaches government decision, it will be judged on the exact same criteria that has led to the Trans Mountain and Line 3 pipeline approvals.
Based on market conditions and their corporate and organizational interests, only TransCanada can make a decision regarding whether to proceed or not. And that decision will reflect what is in the best interest of the company, not the government.
At this time, they have indicated they will be carefully reviewing their application to the National Energy Board and will make a decision in the coming weeks. No matter how the company chooses to move ahead, our government will continue to work with industry, stakeholders, and communities to ensure Canada’s natural resources are developed and transported to market in a responsible, sustainable, and efficient manner.
The downturn of our Albertan economy stemming from lower commodity prices was, and is, something our government takes seriously. We were there to extend employment insurance benefits to those who needed them and approve more infrastructure projects for construction in one year than what the previous government did in its last five years combined.
Our government is supporting the cleanup of abandoned oil wells putting laid-off oilfield workers back to work. We have increased funding for skills training and introduced the Canada Child Benefit that has kept Albertan families afloat during difficult times.
Our government’s support for the province is for the long term and we are already starting to see the economy rebound. The measures we have taken to date are helping Albertans get back on their feet and with our pipeline approvals and commitment to getting our resources to market, we are creating the conditions for sustained prosperity for generations to come.
Only TransCanada can make a decision regarding whether to proceed or not.