IN THE HOUSE – When will construction begin on Trans Mountain pipeline?

Excerpt from debate in the House of Commons on Monday, April 29, 2019:

Jamie Schmale (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON – Conservative):

Mr. Speaker, three years of Liberal fumbles, failures and delays on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion have cost Canadians jobs and prosperity as investment flees the country.

The Prime Minister moves heaven and earth to help his billionaire friends, but for struggling middle-class families dependent on the energy sector, they can just wait and wait.

On what day will construction begin on the Trans Mountain pipeline?

Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources – Liberal):

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to remind Canadians that it was the Conservative opposition members who voted to de-fund and kill the process that we had put in place for meaningful consultation with indigenous communities.

If Conservatives are really serious about expanding our energy sector and getting our resources to global markets, they should have supported that process so we could move forward in consultation with indigenous peoples, and move forward on the project in the right way.

Cathy McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC – Conservative):

Mr. Speaker, construction season is upon us, but the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion lays dormant.

As of today, there are no shovels in the ground, no jobs have been created and no community benefits. Gas prices are soaring sky-high and people are hurting. The government spent $4.5 billion to buy a pipeline and now it cannot even guarantee that it will be approved. This is insulting and the constituents do not like to be played for fools.

On what date will construction begin?

Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources – Liberal):

Mr. Speaker, we are following a path that was given to us by the Federal Court of Appeal, which means a process for meaningful consultation with indigenous communities to get this project right, to listen to their concerns and to offer them accommodation on their concerns.

It was surprising to see the members of the opposition actually vote in favour of de-funding and killing that process that we were following to get this project right.

Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland, AB – Conservative):

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the finance minister said that they spent $4.5 billion tax dollars to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline to start building the expansion “immediately.” It is now over 11 months since the Liberals told Canadians construction would begin “right away.“

On what date will construction of the Trans Mountain expansion start?

Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources – Liberal):

Mr. Speaker, it is surprising that the Conservatives would like us to follow a failed process they followed for 10 years that did not get a single pipeline built to get our resources to non-U.S. markets.

Ninety-nine per cent of the oil that we sell to the outside world is going to one country, the United States. We need to expand our global market. In order to do that, we need to ensure we follow the right process to move forward on projects, such as the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland, AB – Conservative):

Mr. Speaker, under the Conservatives, four major pipelines were built, with more access to new markets.

The reality is that the Liberals already killed two pipelines. Three companies that wanted to build pipelines in Canada are gone. Not a single new inch of pipeline is in service right now. The Liberals said that they spent $4.5 billion tax dollars to build the Trans Mountain expansion immediately.

All the minister has to do is answer the question. When will the Trans Mountain expansion be built?

Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources – Liberal):

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member well knows that one of the projects she is talking about was actually the reversal of the existing pipeline. If that is considered a new pipeline, then I am surprised by what the Conservatives’ definition of a new pipeline is.

We are moving forward in the right way on this process to ensure that we are consulting with indigenous communities in a meaningful way. We have extended the time over three weeks to give them enough time to ensure they are included in this process.

Source: Hansard.