Trans Mountain Pipeline: Energy Security before Politics

GAIN Spokesman Craig Stevens recently wrote a piece in The Calgary Herald expressing his support for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to nationalize the embattled Trans Mountain pipeline. He argues that although this was largely an unpopular decision that has yielded criticism from both liberals and conservatives, “Trudeau is making the right choice by putting his country’s energy security ahead of the political noise.” As Stevens contends:

“Oil and natural gas are critical to Canada’s economy, and the energy sector is one of the country’s strongest growth engines. But in past few years, the industry has been hit hard. At least 18 Canadian companies filed for bankruptcy between 2015 and 2017, and more than 45,000 oil and gas jobs were lost between 2014 and 2017. Developments such as the Trans Mountain pipeline will create good-paying jobs for skilled workers and provide the foundations for growth across the economy.”

Environmental activists have taken extreme opposition stance to pipeline construction and operation, regardless of the industry’s strong safety record and efficiency ratings. Keeping valuable fossil fuels in the ground is not an option while gas prices are skyrocketing. Trudeau understands the importance of smart infrastructure investment and what it brings to Canada. The Trans Mountain pipeline is key to connecting production with consumers and adding greater demand for Canadian products directly. As he concluded:

“Building a protected environment and growing a strong economy at the same time is something that’s more important than winning a few extra seats here or there.”

 

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