Conservative Shadow Minister for Natural Resources, Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs. Photo submitted
MP Shannon Stubbs issued comments surrounding the Trans Mountain Pipeline on August 30, including those on a Federal Court ruling, and the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Meeting held in Calgary. Kinder Morgan shareholders were voting on whether or not to approve the sale of the Trans Mountain Pipeline and expansion project to the Canadian Government for $4.5 billion, and it passed with 99 per cent in favor. Also on August 30, the Federal Court ruled that the Liberal Government failed to fulfill the standards of consultation for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. Subsequently, the project remains stalled. “This is a colossal failure and a very bad day for Canada because of Justin Trudeau and the Liberals,” said MP Stubbs. According to MP Stubbs, the court ruling said that Canada acted in good faith and in their attempt to fulfill consulting Indigenous Peoples that the framework was appropriate, but at the last stage (phase 3) that Canada failed to adequately consult and dialogue the concerns of Indigenous People meaningfully and accommodate those concerns. “This is what is concerning; they vetoed the Northern Gateway Pipeline (which was aimed at exporting to the Asia Pacific region to reduce Canada’s dependency on the United States); the same day as they gave approval for the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Liberals said that the reason for overturning the Northern Gateway Pipeline was insufficient consultation within communities. What is mind-boggling is that the Liberals took no lessons from the ruling on the Northern Gateway Pipeline. They failed to have additional consultations on the Northern Gateway and now clearly they’ve failed to ensure their own standards were met on the same issue for the Trans Mountain expansion,” said MP Stubbs. She went on to say that in May, the Liberals said that the reason they were spending $4.5 billion on the expansion (‘a huge expenditure of tax dollars’) was that it was a solution; that it would ensure that the pipeline would get built. “It still remains delayed after two years. The Liberals must come out with a concrete plan to show Canadians. What are they going to do now that the court has cancelled their approval? They’ve spent billions on the existing pipeline and have yet to tell Canadians how much the expansion will cost and when it will commence. I hope they don’t put the project right back to the beginning of the regulatory application,” said MP Stubbs. According to MP Stubbs, the Liberals claim that the Trans Mountain Pipeline will expand world market access. She feels that the facts show that a vast majority will instead go to American refineries. She said that last year, less than two per cent of Trans Mountain crude oil actually went to the Asia Pacific region. She also noted that this fall, the government will be debating energy regulations in the Senate. “That is why the Northern Gateway Pipeline was so critical for Canada. In the big picture it is important to recognize there were four viable pipeline projects under this government, and only the Trans Mountain remains. Because of the court ruling today, the Trans Mountain Pipeline remains in peril which is devastating to Canadians and workers whose livelihoods, jobs and families depend on the energy sector in every corner of the country. Under these Liberals more than $100 billion in major energy projects have been abandoned - either by being put on hold or cancelled completely. More energy investment has left Canada in the past two years than in 70 years. In addition, the Bank of Canada has estimated there will be no new energy investment in Canada after 2019, which is very alarming for Canada and especially Alberta. We as Albertans and rural citizens can see the benefits of the energy sector, but all of Canada benefits. Benefits include that the energy industry is the number one private sector investor, and Canada’s second largest export,” said MP Stubbs.