Stop dithering over issue of pipelines

Re: “Build the pipelines,” Editorial, Sept. 14.

I am a company wishing to build an oil pipeline in Canada. I am told I must apply to the National Energy Board, which requires me to spend millions of dollars in expert opinions and conduct years of consultations with aboriginals, environmentalists and regional governments, whose sole aim is to derail my application for their own selfish interests.

Notwithstanding fierce opposition, the NEB finally confirms my proposal is safe, is in the national interest of Canada and should proceed.

But then, after all this, the federal government tells me no, it is not politically desirable (i.e., we do not want to look bad under the Paris environmental accord).

The process should be that the federal government declares these pipelines are in the best interest of Canada, and will be built, and that the only issue is the best way to construct them which, after public hearings, the NEB will decide.

It is no secret that the reason we are seeing Canadian pipeline companies merging with American counterparts is that the regulatory process in the U.S. is much easier for American companies than here, and Canadian companies wish to move their operations south.

It took U.S. President Barack Obama nine years of dithering to say no to Keystone, during which time many new pipelines were built in the U.S. It is time to bring pragmatism back into our political decisions. Paul Caron, Calgary