Yes, thank you.
I'm asking the members of the committee to support this motion because I believe the future of Canadian energy, security, jobs, and the environment is at stake.
The National Energy Board has approved these projects, and we're calling on the government to protect the public interest in this regard. These projects cannot go forward without cabinet approval. I'm asking the federal government not to approve these projects. We're asking that the committee hear from witnesses and review all the implications and report back to the House.
There are concerns about the future of Canadian energy security with pipelines that will export raw bitumen to the U.S. for their consumption, while Canadians will remain vulnerable to offshore oil supply. Because of the way our export policy is defined, we have to satisfy the U.S. markets first.
There are also provisions in NAFTA, in article 605, that state that once we have started a flow of unprocessed bitumen to the U.S., we cannot halt that flow for upgrading purposes or for value-added product to export. So that's another concern.
There's also a concern about jobs if we're not processing and refining here in Canada. A number of upgrades and projects are proposed for the Alberta region and the tar sands region. We believe if we're exporting raw bitumen and there's no need to upgrade, there'll be future job loss or the non-creation of jobs in that area, upwards of tens of thousands of jobs.
There is also great concern for the environment, because this will increase the development of the tar sands quite rapidly and will add to our greenhouse gas emissions and also the pollution of water in that area.
As well, the National Energy Board's mandate is set by Parliament in the National Energy Board Act. It is to promote the safety, environmental protection, and economic efficiency in the Canadian interest. By passing this motion, we'd be calling on the government to protect the public interest in this regard.