OTTAWA – Today, Martin Shields Member of Parliament for the Bow River constituency made a statement in the house about the lack of progress on getting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion built.
“It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister has said that this pipeline will be built, but to date nothing has been done to put shovels in the ground to get this project moving. This lack of action and leadership from the Liberal Government has led to an unnecessary trade war that was entirely preventable.” Shields says.
Here is the statement Mr. Shields made in the House today, Friday February 9, 2018:
“Mr. Speaker,
Canada needs the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion now. Oil is being sold at up to a fifty percent discount to the United States because we don’t have anywhere else to sell it. The U.S. sells it back to New Brunswick refineries at the full market price. It’s like if we built a car in Ontario worth 30 thousand, sold it to the U.S. for 15 thousand, and they sold it right back to us for $30 thousand! It’s a ridiculous situation. By some estimates, selling oil at a discount means the equivalent of a new school a day and a new hospital a week being built in the U.S. instead of Canada. We simply need to expand our pipeline capacity – and the Trans Mountain expansion is a good start. It has passed environmental reviews and regulatory hurdles. Now the B.C. government is putting Canadian jobs and prosperity at risk. This government needs to show some leadership and get the Trans Mountain expansion project built.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.”
Neighbour against neighbour makes no sense and it is ridiculous to be in this situation in Canada. We understand the importance of providing regulatory certainty, predictability and clarity to ensure the viability of major energy projects. These projects create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit communities across Canada. Sound economic and environmental policies don’t come at the expense of one over the other; better prosperity always means better environmental performance.
For more information contact:
Greg Gougeon, Legislative Assistant
Email: Martin.Shields.A2@parl.gc.ca
