Lakeland MP and Official Opposition Shadow Minister of Natural Resources Shannon Stubbs is expressing her disapointment regarding TransCanada’s recent suspension of its application for the Energy East Pipeline.
“The decision to suspend the review process for Energy East is yet another hit for workers and their families, who depend on energy jobs,” said Stubbs in a statement. “It is a vital infrastructure and nation building project: it would actually tie together eastern and western Canada physically, economically, and symbolically. Pipelines and other energy projects have always undergone rigorous reviews. But the Liberals continue to put up roadblocks to pipelines, holding them to a completely different standard than any other infrastructure project in the country.”
Energy East would carry 1.1 million barrels of crude per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries and export terminals in Eastern Canada. Three hundred fifty nine suppliers have signed onto the project. Last month, the National Energy Board announced indirect upstream and downstream emissions will be considered as a condition for approval of Energy East.
“Throughout the past year, investors have frozen or abandoned Canadian projects and taken all potential jobs with them. Uncertainty has pushed capital to south of the border, with less red tape and lower costs,” said MP Stubbs. “The Liberals’ risky policies are hindering Canadian energy. This is yet another example of how government can literally put oil and gas companies out of business. Minister Carr has commented on this situation, claiming this is a ‘private sector decision.’ But it is actually a direct outcome of Liberal decisions.
“Canada has the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world, and the future of Canadian energy development is dependent on reaching additional export markets. Energy East would have ensured Canadian energy security and independence while reducing reliance on the US, which is both Canada’s biggest energy customer and competitor, and is ramping up domestic energy production.”
TransCanada has requested a thirty-day review suspension, at which point they could choose to kill the project all together.