Mr. Speaker, today I rise to table a petition signed by people concerned about public funding being spent on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion during the climate emergency. The cost of this pipeline is now estimated to hit $18 billion, and expert reports state this investment will not be recouped unless the government ignores its own climate targets and allows greenhouse gas emissions to continue to increase from the oil and gas sector. The petitioners are concerned about the risk of spills of diluted bitumen on the west coast as well as the violation of indigenous rights along the route and in the coastal communities that rely on the marine environment for their livelihood and cultural practices.
The petitioners call on the government to halt any support for the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.