Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to start by presenting the motion that I gave notice of. I think it's very timely, as much as we have these witnesses here today, all of whom I'm very grateful to. I met with many of them.
I thank the witnesses.
I just feel that this really is a project critical to the national interest, and as such, I will present this motion here at this time. As you read when it was put on notice, the motion itself is:
That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities study the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline; that this study focus on (a) the devastating loss of jobs and investment across Canada in all sectors that supply the energy sector, (b) the environmental impact of the United States purchasing foreign oil from nations with terrible environmental records, and (c) the impact the cancellation of this project will have on Canada’s economic recovery from COVID-19; that the committee invite relevant witnesses, including representatives of industries and workers affected, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change; that the Ministers appear separately for not less than two hours each; that these meetings be televised; that six meetings be allocated for this study; and that following this study a report with recommendations be presented to the House of Commons.
Mr. Chair, I really think that if we think about what this committee is about, it's about transportation, infrastructure and communities. I will say that this incredible project.... As the former Canadian consul to Dallas, Texas from 2010 until 2013, I advocated hard for this project in the Obama environment. Therefore, with a change in administration for our neighbours to the south, I was hopeful that finally this project's time would come.
Unfortunately, the hemming and hawing of this government and an eventual change in administration to the south led to its demise, with the result of at least tens of thousands of jobs.... Eleven thousand was the last number I saw, but it's far beyond that. It's tens of thousands if you add everyone implicated.
Really, it is about pipelines being forms of transportation and critical infrastructure to our nation. It's certainly about not only the communities that will be provided with good jobs as a result of this project, but also those that the pipeline will service, those it will bring good Canadian fuel to.
I would add finally, Mr. Chair, that this is more critical this week than ever before, as we see the demise of Line 5—again, at the hands of our neighbours to the south. If only we had advocated for energy when we had the opportunity.... This is something that this government continues to fail to do.
With all of that, Mr. Chair, thank you for your patience as I present this. I lay this at the feet of the committee with the hope that this committee will recognize the importance of this project and what its cancellation means, and with the hope that we can study this as a committee for the benefit of each and every Canadian across this country.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.