Thank you to both the minister and Mr. Hamilton for being here with us today.
I would like to focus my time on the National Energy Board.
Minister, as you know, the budget for the NEB increased this year compared to the 2015-16 main estimates. It was due to an increase of $18.3 million specifically for energy transportation and infrastructure from the previous government's 2015 budget. In fact, the previous Conservative government committed $80 million over five years to the NEB to contribute to safety and environmental protection and to enhance engagement with Canadians related to transportation infrastructure. The funding was intended to be fully cost recovered from industry.
Recently, as you noted in your opening comments, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change announced new transitional pipeline review measures that are in addition to the existing NEB process. Of course, we know proponents of Canada's world-leading and sustainable natural resources projects have invested millions of dollars in what they believed was a predictable, responsible, and robust approval process. Now your government is changing the rules of them mid-project, which is perpetuating uncertainty and instability at what I think we can agree is the very worst time. Previous governments, through their significant investment in budget 2015, signalled to industry and to Canadians that safety, environmental protection, and enhanced engagement on energy and transportation infrastructure are important issues that demand appropriate investment from the federal government and they delivered on that.
I have some questions for you relating to the NEB and your government's intention. I'll ask them all at once.
One, does your government intend to continue the $80-million investment in the NEB announced last year by the former government? If not, what will your investment be and how will it assist the board in doing their work?
Two, given your government's insistence that an extra review process is necessary, in addition to the great work of the NEB, do the chair and the experts at the NEB have the confidence of your government, yes or no?
Three, do you plan on making any management changes to the NEB, given your government's ambiguity over confidence in their work and the need for an additional process?