I have also experienced that and the challenge it is in the past pandemic year. Thank you for reminding me of that. I did speak to the minister personally about it when it happened.
It is still the case though, now, that it is the minister's responsibility to come to this committee at his earliest and next opportunity. I think there's good reason for it. Colleagues, I'm sure that we all agree. If this is still the same kind of committee as it was before where we all worked together in the mutual and best interests of the whole country, then I know we'd all agree that that this sector is crucial for Canada's economic recovery.
The challenge is that there's no shortage of crises that remain in the sector, with the loss of $200 billion in oil and gas projects and over 200,000 energy workers have lost their jobs. Included within that are innovation, clean tech and brain drain, as mentioned by our witnesses earlier. Billions of dollars in dozens of indigenous agreements on those projects have been lost at the same time.
The TMX has been over-budget and behind schedule; the Keystone XL cancelled; Line 5 threatened, despite the purported close relationship between the PM and the new administration; and there's the death of the Kitimat LNG project, which would have been crucial to reducing emissions and to Canada's role in the world. There is $20 billion worth of projects, dozens of private sector projects, that are sitting in the impact assessment review right now, either in the early stages or literally just waiting for a cabinet decision.
I just want to make the argument that, given the presence of ministers past at this committee—and thank you Chair for the context—and given all the serious concerns facing this sector, which is so crucial to the entire country, I urge members of the committee to support the motion tabled by my colleague from Cypress Hills—Grasslands.
