Thank you. Good morning.
Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee, on behalf of LNG Canada, thank you for the opportunity to provide input to your study on Canadian energy exports.
LNG Canada phase one provides a practical example for the issues you're considering, so please allow me to summarize across five areas.
The first point is that Canadian energy exports matter at home.
Canada has world-scale resources, a skilled workforce and communities that can benefit from responsible resource development and long-term prosperity, including through hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, durable careers in resource-dependent regions, indigenous economic participation and revenue sharing, and public revenues that fund essential services at all levels of government.
Natural gas, and LNG in particular, can expand Canada's reach beyond existing markets to global customers and increase the value of our resources while, critically, diversifying trade. Phase one shows that Canadian energy exports can be competitive, responsible and aligned with public expectations.
The second area is Canada's role in global energy supply and what it takes to build export capacity.
The global energy system is transitioning, but demand for reliable, responsible and affordable energy will remain. Canadian LNG can help meet that demand by supporting stable energy markets, helping customers to diversify away from higher-risk or higher-emitting sources and providing energy governed by Canada's environmental, labour and indigenous rights frameworks. LNG projects do depend on long-term planning, regulatory certainty and major investment across the value chain. Phase one shows that Canada can permit, finance and build this complex export infrastructure when conditions allow.
The third area is energy security in a more volatile world, and this is the case for phase two.
This discussion is happening amid heightened geopolitical risk, supply chain disruption and growing competition for secure and reliable energy. Countries that import LNG are prioritizing reliability of supply, political stability of suppliers and clear environmental and governance standards. As a democratic, rules-based country with vast resources, Canada can support global energy security in ways that align with partners' values. Our exports are governed by predictable regulation, enforceable contracts, strong labour protections and respect for indigenous rights. LNG helps manage volatility by providing flexibility and diversification, especially in the Indo-Pacific, where demand is growing and energy security concerns are acute. Canadian LNG can help reduce dependence on less secure suppliers, and in many cases can enable a shift away from higher-emitting fuels.
For Canada, contributing to energy security abroad supports economic security at home—jobs, investment, public revenues and stronger trade relationships. That context underscores the strategic significance of expanding export capacity, including LNG Canada phase two, which is currently under consideration by LNG Canada's joint venture participants. Phase two would increase Canada's LNG export capacity, using proven designs and established supply chains, while minimizing incremental impacts by building on what is already in place.
For Canada, this is not only commercial. It's a strategic choice about whether global demand is met by Canadian energy or by others, whether Canada captures the jobs and investment benefits of its resources and whether Canada remains relevant in an increasingly competitive global energy landscape.
The fourth area is the barriers that could hold Canada back.
Despite our advantages, Canada does have barriers to developing and exporting energy, including regulatory complexity and unpredictability; approval timelines that are long, relative to global competitors; infrastructure constraints; and policy uncertainty that deters long-term investment.
Major projects are planned over decades. Policy stability, regulatory efficiency and clarity on national energy objectives are critical to competitiveness. Phase one succeeded because governments, regulators, indigenous partners and investors aligned on both the importance of the project and the process to deliver it.
The fifth point is on how we do this. It is through indigenous partnerships and responsible development. How development proceeds matters as much as whether it proceeds.
LNG Canada's model includes indigenous nations as partners from the outset, including benefits agreements and equity participation, long-term revenue sharing, employment and skills development, and ongoing collaboration across the value chain. These partnerships represent durable economic participation and a meaningful contribution to reconciliation. Phase two would build on these relationships, expand benefits and maintain the same commitment to consultation and collaboration.
In closing, Canadian energy exports matter to workers, communities, indigenous nations and Canada's place in the world—now more than ever. Phase one demonstrates what is possible when responsible development, indigenous partnership and global market access align. The question raised by our proposed phase two expansion is whether Canada will fully realize its resource value in a rapidly evolving global energy system.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear today. I welcome your questions.
