Madam Speaker, when choosing where to start projects and create jobs, investors listen for clear and consistent messages from legislators and regulators, messages saying that the country is open for business and wants new investment.
So when a prime minister, who signals policy intent with every public statement, tells one group that the oil sands have to be phased out and boasts to others about approving pipelines, investors get confused. They take their plans, their cash, and all the jobs they would have created and go to other jurisdictions, like the United States.
If the government wants jobs to stay in Canada, it has to quit scaring off investors with mixed message and new taxes. Instead, it should voice a clear and consistent message, that Canada is open for business, Canada welcomes investment in energy projects, Canada has faith in the rigour of its regulators and environmental practices, and that Canada will get its resources to market.