Mr. Speaker, citizens in my riding of Hamilton Centre have been following the hearings on Enbridge's Line 9 pipeline reversal and are deeply concerned. My constituents know that the 38-year-old pipeline was not designed to handle diluted bitumen, and they wanted their concerns to be heard. Instead, they have been muzzled as the Conservative government used omnibus bills to gut the environmental assessment process, and the doors on public consultations were slammed shut. This is unacceptable, and we cannot and will not support a process that does not listen to the concerns of citizens and puts rubber-stamping this deal ahead of ensuring the safety of Canadians.
New Democrats will continue to demand that the development of Canada's natural resources is done in the most sustainable way, and that the highest environmental protection and safety standards are met. Canadians also want to see leadership on transitioning to a new green economy, improving energy efficiency and tackling climate change. These are the priorities of the people of Hamilton Centre, and they are the priorities of the NDP.