Alberta NDP takes out pipeline ads in Canadian newspapers
The Alberta government has ramped up its call for a national pipeline plan by placing full-page newspaper advertisements across the country.
The ads — running in national and provincial publications — highlight the daily $40-million hit to Canada’s coffers thanks to the delay of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
A recent court decision nixed the project, citing a lack of Indigenous consultation and a flawed National Energy Board review.
If Ottawa doesn’t act, the ad reads, this country could face “big losses.”
“Until (Trans Mountain is) built, Canada is forced to ship oil by more expensive, more environmentally damaging means — and to sell Canadian oil to America at a discount,” it says.
That’s a similar line used by Premier Rachel Notley’s government earlier this year when the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project faced increasing opposition from British Columbia.
It also builds on previous phone and online surveys through the province’s Keep Canada Working campaign, which is directly aimed at building public pressure on Ottawa to get the Trans Mountain expansion underway.
The NDP is considering running radio advertisements as well as print advertisements to promote the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Notley ’s communications director, Cheryl Oates, said print and online news outlet ads combined are costing around $450,000 per week.
The ad is not running in Quebec or New Brunswick because of their election rules.
Oates said the government is evaluating the ad buys each day. It’s also considering running radio advertisements on commercial stations across the country, with a recorded ad ready to drop if that decision is made.
“In the 30 seconds it takes to listen to this ad, Canada will lose $15,000,” the narrator says, adding that investments and jobs are currently on pause thanks to the Trans Mountain court decision.
“Tell the federal government we need a plan.”
The government has also updated the keepcanadaworking.ca website.
The recent court decision on Trans Mountain “impacts each and every one of us,” it says.
“Let’s fix this.”