Liberal purchase stirs up criticism

Opponents line up against government plan

OTTAWA— The Liberal government’s $4.5-billion Trans Mountain pipeline purchase was met with swift criticism Tuesday, as environmental groups and Indigenous leaders vowed to keep protesting the controversial expansion project and opposition politicians slammed the move.

“We are absolutely shocked and appalled that Canada is willingly investing taxpayers’ money in such a highly controversial fossil fuel expansion project,” said Grand Chief Stewart Philip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, in an emailed statement.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May called the purchase “an historic blunder with taxpayer dollars,” citing a document from the National Energy Board that says Kinder Morgan bought the existing pipeline from its previous owner for $550 million in 2007.

She also accused Trudeau’s government of writing a “blank cheque” for the pipeline’s construction costs, which Kinder Morgan has previously pegged at $7.4 billion.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the decision leaves taxpayers on the hook for Trudeau’s “failure” to manage the energy file. “The prime minister is forcing Canadian taxpayers to pay for his failure,” he said.

The Council of Canadians, meanwhile, attacked Ottawa’s purchase as a “Big Oil bailout” that would not remove obstacles to the pipeline expansion. Greenpeace, in its own statement, said Trudeau’s government has “signed up to captain the Titanic of tar sands oil pipelines, putting it on a collision course with its commitments to Indigenous rights and the Paris climate agreement.”

There were voices of support. Canada’s Building Trades Unions lauded the “courage and vision” of the government and said Ottawa can expect to sell the pipeline in the future. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce also supported the move, arguing in a statement that it will allow oil companies to sell Alberta bitumen at higher prices and thus bring economic benefits to the country.