After a great summer in our riding, I returned to Ottawa last week for the fall sitting of parliament. I heard from thousands of you over the course of the summer – I greatly appreciated you all taking the time to share your concerns. One issue that came up constantly was the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion.
I completely agree with your concerns: the pipeline needs to be built.
The Liberal government has mismanaged this project for two years. Thousands of Canadians have now lost their jobs, and taxpayers are now on the hook for a $4.5 billion dollar pipeline that may never be built.
The private sector was willing to start construction – all they needed was certainty from the federal government. Unfortunately, the Liberals failed to provide investors with the assurance they needed.
The Liberals have demonstrated time and time again that they don’t care about the Canadian energy sector. In fact, the Prime Minister has stated repeatedly that he wants to “phase out” the Canadian energy sector. He told a group of Europeans that he wishes he could do it “tomorrow.”
I can only assume the Prime Minister is embarrassed of Canada’s energy resources. How can someone champion our oil and gas industry when they don’t really believe in it themselves? We need more than halfhearted support for our vital energy sector.
I strongly believe the Prime Minister needs to immediately outline a concrete plan to ensure that the Trans Mountain Expansion is actually built. Workers deserve to know when construction will start and when the project will be completed. Our Canadian energy workers and their families have had more than enough of this government’s inaction.
This issue will continue to be at the top of our Conservative agenda this fall. We are making every effort to get the government to commit to firm, concrete action that will get the project started.
