Government’s record on pipelines
Re: Energy East could save our economy, Peter MacKay, July 26
Peter MacKay’s comments regarding the Energy East project are misleading and bear no resemblance to the facts or reality. Canadians deserve better.
The fact is, Peter MacKay was an Atlantic minister for 10 years and did not get a single major pipeline built to new export markets.
Let’s contrast his former Conservative government’s record with ours, on jobs and results for the energy sector:
We approved Woodfibre LNG, the Nova Gas pipeline, the Ridley Island Propane Terminal, and secured expanded export capacity for the Alberta Clipper project. We have always supported the Keystone XL pipeline, which is progressing well.
We approved the Trans Mountain Expansion and Line 3 Replacement projects. Construction is under way, creating thousands of jobs, economic prosperity, and allowing us to reach non-U.S. export markets around the globe at a critical moment. The Conservatives failed to do this.
They also failed on Northern Gateway, when their approach to Indigenous consultation led to the courts blocking the project’s approval. Indeed, we’ve accomplished far more in two and a half years than the Harper Conservatives could in a decade. Now let’s talk specifically about Energy East.
Our government did not impede the project, as MacKay alleges, through “regulatory changes.” At no point did we instruct an independent regulator to treat Energy East any differently than TMX, Line 3, or any other major project. In fact, we proposed to remove risk from the project, by paying for the upstream and downstream emissions assessment.
Energy East would have been reviewed by our government using the exact same process that saw the Trans Mountain Expansion and Line 3 projects approved.
At the time Energy East was proposed, in 2014, projects such as Keystone XL, Trans Mountain and Line 3 were not moving forward. TransCanada’s decision on Energy East was a business decision; they walked away from a process that has seen a number of projects approved under this government.
Can other proponents bring forward bright ideas for energy projects on the East Coast? Absolutely. We welcome proposals for energy projects that will diversify our export markets and get a better price for Canadian resources. Canada is open for business. Atlantic Canada is open for business. Amarjeet Sohi, federal Minister of Natural Resources