Debates of May 30th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what we have seen here is the Conservatives trapped by their rigid ideology and therefore unable to protect jobs and create jobs for Albertans. For 10 years, they tried, and failed, to get a new pipeline built to markets other than the United States. They were unable to do that. What they seem not to understand is that public investment has always been part of developing the resource sector.

We are proud to make sure we are supporting the growth in the economy, the good jobs for Albertans and all Canadians, while we protect the environment.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, to date, the only thing standing in the way of getting Canadian energy to foreign markets is that Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister is trying to characterize the belief that when a private sector company wants to use shareholder money to build a pipeline, that is somehow rigid ideology. Well, when a Texas-based company wants to bring $4.5 billion of investment into Canada, the Conservatives will support that investment and not ask taxpayers to pay for his mistakes.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the rigid ideology that the Conservative Party is showing is costing jobs for Albertans. The Conservatives failed for 10 years. Perhaps a little history lesson is in order.

Progressive Conservative leaders like Peter Lougheed understood that public investment in our resource sector was important to get our resources built and to markets. For 10 years, the Conservatives tried, and failed, to get our resources to markets other than the U.S. We are standing up for Alberta and Canadian jobs.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, tens of billions of dollars of investment in the energy sector have already left this country, and now the Prime Minister is telling Canadian taxpayers that they are going to have to pay for his mistakes. He is writing a cheque for $4.5 billion for an existing pipeline. Not a single centimetre of new pipeline will be built with this bill to the taxpayer. It is going to a Texas-based company that is taking that money out of Canada.

Why is it that when the Liberals are in power, taxpayers have to pay $4.5 billion for something they could have gotten for free?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives tried for 10 years to get our resources to markets other than the United States, and they failed, and now that we are actually securing access to new markets, securing Canadian jobs, and securing Alberta jobs, their ideology is getting in the way.

I remind them that the great Peter Lougheed knew that public investment in resource development is essential to move forward as a country. That is exactly what we are doing for Alberta and for Canadians.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would ask for the assistance of the hon. members for Chilliwack—Hope and St. Albert—Edmonton in not calling out, yelling, or speaking out when someone else has the floor and in waiting until they have the floor before speaking, as the Standing Orders provide.

The hon. member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it would be good if the Prime Minister would put as much passion into talking about the environment as he has talking about buying a pipeline.

Let's not kid ourselves. By deciding to invest $4.5 billion of taxpayers' money in the Kinder Morgan pipeline, the government is nationalizing it. Champions of the environment do not buy pipelines. Champions of the environment do not choose to make taxpayers assume the financial and environmental risks associated with a pipeline. Champions of the environment invest in clean energy.

What risk assessments did the government conduct before getting out its chequebook for Kinder Morgan?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when Rachel Notley announced her plan for the environment, NDP members here in Ottawa applauded her approach and commended her for her vision. However, today, they are forgetting that Rachel Notley's plan to combat climate change was a three-pronged approach, which included limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the oil sands, putting a price on carbon in Alberta, and building a pipeline to get Alberta's resources to new markets.

That is the plan they applauded. What they are forgetting today is that the environment and the economy go hand in hand.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are the ones talking about energy and the environment and they are the ones abandoning the environment for the economy. That is clear. The other thing that is clear is that the Premier of Alberta keeps her promises. We really take issue with the government breaking the promises it made to Canadians.

The Liberals do not seem to realize that they have decided to take on a risk that Kinder Morgan clearly no longer wanted to bear. Let us be clear: what the government bought for $4.5 billion is a pipeline that was built in the 1950s. Expanding the pipeline will take an additional $7-billion to $15-billion investment.

Can the government tell us what fiscal impact this nationalization will have on Canadian taxpayers?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP still does not understand that we cannot choose between what is good for the economy and what is good for the environment. They have not understood a thing.

Our historic plan to achieve our Paris targets includes a pipeline to get our resources to new markets. We know that getting our resources to new markets, securing a better price, and securing jobs across Canada will translate into pricing pollution across the country, protecting our oceans, and limiting greenhouse gas emissions—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, only the Liberals would dump $4.5 billion on a 65-year-old pipeline and call that an energy strategy. Only the Liberals would try to force through a pipeline, and tankers, through traditional first nations territory and call that reconciliation. Only this Prime Minister would call himself a climate change leader and then be willing to spend $15 billion on a diluted-bitumen pipeline to China.

He is about to say, “The environment and the economy must go together.” Does he know what else must go together? It is making a promise to the Canadian people and then actually keeping it.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think it would be worthwhile to remind the House and remind Canadians, and indeed remind the NDP, that they celebrated Rachel Notley's approach to protecting the environment and growing the economy just a few years ago, yet they forgot that part of that plan involved three elements: one, an absolute cap on oil sands emissions; two, a price on carbon that would apply to the Alberta economy; and three, getting our oil resources to new markets.

That was integral to Rachel Notley's approach. That is what they have done. That is indeed what we have done to demonstrate that the economy and the environment go together.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I must have missed the part where she said that we should nationalize a 65-year-old pipeline with four and a half billion dollars of Canadians' money. The Liberals do know it is not legal to smoke weed until August, right? This idea makes no sense at all.

When he was asked about why he bailed out a Texas oil company, this is what the Prime Minister said: it was “too risky for a commercial entity” to take on. What? If it is too risky for an oil pipeline company to build an oil pipeline, why is it okay for the Canadian public to pick up all that risk? Liberals have to learn one thing and one thing finally, that bailing out Texas oil companies is no way—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since the member brought it up, let us remind the House what Rachel Notley, the NDP Premier of Alberta, actually said about this pipeline:

This is a major step forward for all Canadians.

We have met the deadline.

This project has more certainty than ever....

We have demonstrated that despite the actions of one province trying to block this pipeline, the project, which is in the national interest, and the jobs that will be assured and defended through this project are an integral part of our plan to fight climate change and grow the economy for future generations. That is what Canadians expect.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, these are the facts. Canadian taxpayers are going to pay $4.5 billion because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. He is going to use $4.5 billion to buy an existing pipeline. The $4.5-billion price tag does not include the pipeline expansion or the creation of new jobs. The $4.5 billion is going to go straight into the pockets of a U.S. corporation that will invest our money in other countries.

I have a question for the Prime Minister. How much will his failure end up costing?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party tried to build a pipeline to new markets for 10 years and it failed. For the past two and a half years the Conservatives have been telling us to move forward and make sure that a pipeline takes our oil to new markets.

Yesterday, we succeeded. We ensured that we will develop our resources so they can be exported to new markets, and we have a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet our Paris targets.

I understand why the Conservatives having nothing to say. We were able to accomplish what they could not.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here are some more facts. Let's see what the Prime Minister has to say about this.

What happened on January 26, 2016, February 13, 2018, May 24, May 25, and May 28? The Prime Minister and all the Liberal members opposed motions in favour of Trans Mountain. Those are the facts.

Because of this failure, Canadians will have to fork over $4.5 billion. That money could have been used to reduce taxes or provide better services.

How much will this failure end up costing?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, every year, Canada loses $15 billion because we are prisoners of a single market. We need to develop our resources and export them to new markets that are not the United States. That is exactly what we are doing.

For 10 years, the Conservatives failed to do that. For two and a half years, they have been shouting at us to do it, and now that we are doing it, they are angry and they have no idea what to do because we are standing up for jobs for Albertans in the oil fields. This will strengthen the Canadian economy for years to come while protecting the environment.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave $4.5 billion in Canadian tax dollars to Kinder Morgan to build pipelines in the United States, Canada's biggest energy competitor. The Prime Minister killed northern gateway, energy east, and Pacific NorthWest LNG and imposed an offshore drilling ban, a tanker ban, and a carbon tax. No other major oil producer in the world is hampering itself with these damaging policies, but the Prime Minister is ramming through even more red tape. Oil and gas investors warn that it is suffocating the sector, but we all know that he wants to phase them out.

When will the Prime Minister stop attacking the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadian energy workers?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would respectfully propose that it is the Conservatives who are now attacking the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of energy workers across this country by standing in the way of this pipeline. We are actually moving forward on this pipeline to get our resources to new markets in a way that also will allow us to reach our climate agreements under the Paris accord.

This is what for 10 years they were unable to do. This is what for two and a half years they have been shouting at us to do, and now that we are actually doing it, no wonder they are completely lost. This is a sad day for the Conservatives but a good day for Canada.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals jeopardize investment in Canada at every turn, and the U.S. is poised to supply 80% of the world's growing oil and gas demand. Banks, economists, and investment firms have been warning for months that investment is leaving Canada. The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association said that “uncertainty and potential implications of further...seismic regulatory changes” are driving energy investments out of Canada.

Canada does not need nationalization. Canada needs certainty and to be able to compete. When will the Liberals stop undermining Canadian energy investments?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the rigid ideology of this particular band of Conservatives forgets the long and storied history of public investment in our national resource sector. The great Progressive Conservative leader Peter Lougheed understood that well and made significant public investments in our natural resources to get to where we are today.

The Conservatives are now letting their ideology get in the way of securing and creating good jobs for Albertans, and indeed for all Canadians. That is what we are focused on. That is what we will continue to do.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in an interview, the Prime Minister indicated that the reason the government intervened and decided to nationalize a pipeline was because the Liberals recognized that there was too much uncertainty for Kinder Morgan and it was in the national interest.

There is another pipeline that was in the national interest, and that was the energy east pipeline. It would have provided jobs, competitiveness for New Brunswick, and more certainty, for sure, with respect to supply.

What I would like to know is, will the Prime Minister promise to enter into negotiations to provide the same level of certainty for energy east?