Pierre Poilievre promises national energy corridor for pipeline builds

Article content

OTTAWA — Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre promised his government would create an east-west “national energy corridor” to guarantee the approval of pipelines, railways and other resource-moving infrastructure within Canada, if elected.

Article content

Article content

“This corridor will be pre-designated, ensuring that all level of governments have provided legally binding commitments to approve projects within them. Investors would no longer face endless regulatory limbo. First Nations would be involved from the outset,” Poilievre promised in a video published online Monday.

Article content

The video begins with Poilievre stepping out from behind a bust of Sir John A. Macdonald, turning towards the dark grey effigy and asking it, rhetorically, if Canada’s first prime minister would be able to build the Canadian Pacific Railway line in 2025.

“Let’s not forget why John A. wanted an east-west railway: it’s so that we wouldn’t be so dependent on the Americans. But today, with the United States threatening tariffs, we need east-west trade more than ever before and building that kind of project would be impossible (under a Liberal government),”  Poilievre said.

In the video, the Conservative leader said that for Alberta oil to be transported to Quebec, it must go through pipelines that traverse the northern United States. He said that that is not ideal amid a historic trade war with the United States and threats by President Donald Trump to annex Canada.

Article content

Article content

“That gives the Americans the power to cut off Canadians from our own energy supply,” he said in the video before turning back to the Macdonald bust and asking, “It must hurt you to hear that, doesn’t it? Unbelievable.”

“We will break our dependence on the U.S. and become more attached to our fellow compatriots across Canada, and we will seek to honor the legacy of John A Macdonald and his railway by adding pipelines, power lines, roads and rail that bind our country together,” he said.

The Conservatives say the corridor will benefit from pre-approval from all levels of government, including First Nations, to accelerate building of infrastructure that moves energy such as electricity, oil and gas across Canada.

Article content

During a press conference in Saint John, N.B., Poilievre said the process would happen in three steps: consultations and environmental research, consultation with First Nations and then formalizing the permits (including specifications and project standards) and posting the “legally-binding” documents online.

He said that the government would not be able to “change its mind” after a permit was released, removing the uncertainty created by the Liberals since 2015.

Poilievre lambasted the Liberal government and former Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, accusing them of blocking more than a dozen “major energy projects” and completing none of the 18 liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals seeking approval since 2015.

Article content

The notion of a national infrastructure or energy corridor has made significant headway in recent weeks as the trade war with the U.S. heats up.

Days before the election began, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the federal government was working with provinces to create a national “trade and economic corridor” that included a single approval process.

“This new measure will create clear, predictable, and efficient review processes – with the highest standards for safety, environmental protection, and Indigenous consultation – and reduce uncertainty for investors,” read a statement from the prime minister’s office.

More to come …

National Post

cnardi@postmedia.com

Article content