QUESTION PERIOD — Natural Resources
Energy Sector
February 26, 2020
Leader, I fail to understand how burning tires on tracks, as trains are passing, is legal.
In any event, you talk about Canada’s relationship with the world. There is great concern with those relationships. Here at home, for instance, Frontier mine from Vancouver-based Teck Resources is one in a long list of projects cancelled since the Liberals formed government in 2015, including Northern Gateway, Energy East, Pacific NorthWest LNG and Aurora LNG.
In the days before Teck withdrew its application, Minister of Environment Jonathan Wilkinson said that cabinet may choose to delay its decision on the project. This government has a history of death by delay; for example, in the case of the Pacific NorthWest LNG Project near Prince Rupert, a decision was delayed and the project eventually cancelled.
Senator Gold, the joint review panel submitted its report to your government last July, which confirmed that Frontier mine is in the public interest. That was seven months ago. Why didn’t your government act quickly to make a decision and give Teck the certainty it needed to proceed with this project?
Thank you for your question. To be clear, I was not making any reference or characterizing one form of protest or another as legal or illegal, so your comment, I think, was unnecessary.
As I stated in the chamber yesterday and as the CEO of Teck announced, they made a business decision based upon the overall framework within which these issues are being dealt with in Canada. They made a business decision for a number of reasons, including pressure from their investors to make sure that their activities were profitable, and also with regard to the framework in Canada, which is not the exclusive responsibility of one level of government but engages all levels of government, territories and Indigenous communities to make sure that there is a proper framework within which sustainable energy and resource development can work alongside our commitment and the necessity for reducing and transitioning to a lower-carbon economy. That was the decision made and announced by the CEO of Teck, and I have nothing more to add to that.
Leader, there were months of delay, and I’m sure that is one of the main reasons the decision was made. This government’s approval of the Frontier project would have helped restore confidence in our energy sector and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it provides for men and women all across the country.
Leader, if your government truly supports our energy sector, could you explain why Liberal caucus members in the other place spoke out publicly against the Frontier mine while it was still before cabinet for review? And if your government truly believes in the future of our energy sector, why was your government reportedly preparing a so-called aid package for the province of Alberta in the event that cabinet rejected the Frontier mine proposal?
Thank you for your question. This government, by its actions, whether regarding Trans Mountain or other projects, clearly demonstrates its commitment to try to find a balance between sustainable and responsible resource development and the attainment of our goals with regard to climate change.
With regard to the reference to planning around providing assistance to those who are burdened, generally, by the downturn in the oil industry and others, it is the responsibility of government — indeed, the demand of provincial governments — for the federal government to come to the aid of their communities when circumstances so require. So it is the position of the government that it was a responsible position to start to make plans in the eventuality that decisions would have a negative impact on particular sectors within particular regions.
