Amarjeet Sohi

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, since coming to office, the government has made it clear that economic prosperity and environmental protection must go hand in hand. It has also been clear that it is a core responsibility of the federal government to help get Canada’s natural resources to market. The decision in 2012 to gut environmental laws eroded public trust, put Canada’s environment and economy at risk, and made it harder, not easier, for good projects to go ahead. These changes led to polarization and paralysis.

Bill C-69 was introduced to restore public confidence by better protecting the environment, fish and waterways, while also respecting indigenous rights. In addition, it would provide greater certainty to proponents, leading to the creation of good, middle-class jobs and enhancing economic opportunities.

Canada’s investment climate remains robust. According to the most recent “Major Projects Planned or Under Construction” report, there are 418 projects, worth some $585 billion, already under construction or planned over the next 10 years. This reflects Canada’s position as a destination of choice for resource investors.

Significantly, new projects have continued to come forward in all sectors since Bill C-69 was tabled in 2017, reflecting the continued confidence of the investment community.

In developing this legislation, the government undertook extensive consultations with Canadians. The bill reflects the feedback and advice from a broad range of stakeholders, including investors and project proponents, who indicated that they wanted a clear, predictable and timely project review process.

In addition, Natural Resources Canada routinely monitors market, financial and economic indicators to gauge the competitiveness of Canada’s oil and gas sector. These data inform all of the government’s policy decisions.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we take the safety of communities very seriously. I will absolutely follow up with the hon. member to ensure that we are listening to her concerns, as well as the concerns of the community.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we understand the diversity of opinions among indigenous communities on this project. We know that some do support this project and some do not support this project. It is our responsibility to engage with all of them, to listen to their concerns and then offer accommodations where accommodation is possible.

Also, we are taking unprecedented action to protect our coastal communities through the ambitious oceans protection plan we have put in place.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, on the one hand, we have Conservatives who do not get the environment. On the other hand, we have the New Democrats who do not get the economy.

We are moving forward, building a strong economy, creating jobs for the middle class, and at the same time taking action on climate, ensuring that we are putting a price on pollution, ensuring that we are taking action by phasing out coal and making sure that we meaningfully engage with indigenous communities.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative actions do not demonstrate their commitment to this project.

If they were really committed to getting this project right, then they would not have voted down the process we put in place for a meaningful consultation with indigenous communities to ensure that the impact of marine shipping on the marine environment was properly assessed, something that was excluded under Stephen Harper when their review took place.

We are changing the broken system.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they have no confidence in Canada's energy sector.

We have been moving forward on this project from day one. When the Federal Court of Appeal made its decision cancelling the TMX project, one of the reasons that project was stalled was that, when the review process was started in 2013, under Stephen Harper's government, Conservatives failed to include the impact of marine shipping on the marine environment.

We are changing that. We are engaging with indigenous communities in the right way to move forward on the project, which will make—

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, if the members of the official opposition were really serious about moving forward with the process on TMX in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down and kill that process. That shows their lack of sincerity about getting our resources to non-U.S. markets.

We are doing the hard work to ensure that meaningful consultation is taking place with indigenous communities and that we are taking action on the environment with protection of the environment.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite known to Canadians that when Stephen Harper got into office in 2006, 99% of the oil from Alberta was sold to only a single customer, which was the United States. When he left office in 2015, that was still the case 10 years later: 99% of oil was still being sold to the United States.

The Conservatives' plan failed to build a single pipeline to diversify our market to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that.

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we have more confidence in Canada's energy sector than what is being portrayed by the members of the official opposition.

We gave approval to Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are working with the U.S. on the Keystone XL pipeline. We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in the right way, with meaningful consultation that has been concluded with indigenous communities.

We have full confidence in our energy sector.

[Natural Resources, June 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.

As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.