Natural Resources committee  There is significant opportunity in the industry to deliver on emission reductions. We're home to leading technology companies and an industry that has a proud record of continuous improvement. Ultimately, we're about ensuring that Canadians, in their homes and businesses, have the affordable, clean, reliable energy they need.

Natural Resources committee  I am, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate today. The Canadian Gas Association is, as many of you know, the voice of Canada’s natural gas delivery industry. Our membership includes utilities and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers to the industry.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Many Canadians have cousins in Europe. Sorry.

Finance committee  I took the liberty of switching to French. I'll stay in English. I was saying that many Canadians have cousins in Europe. Mine happen to be in Ireland, but we all have them all over. I assume that Mr. Viau was referring to the people of France. As I have noticed over the last year, there have been protests on the streets of France virtually every week, principally about energy affordability, so it is front and centre for most people around the world.

Finance committee  Thank you. I just want to remind committee members of a couple of things. The first conversation about peak oil suggested we were running out of these products, oil and gas. The fact is that the extraordinary technological innovation in the sector demonstrated an ability to recover enormous new supplies.

Finance committee  I'm sorry. I missed that.

Finance committee  I was going to make the point that, third, in fact oil and gas companies are driving a renewables conversation of their own through products such as renewable gas and the use of hydrogen and other things. Very often, the conversation excludes those opportunities that are, in many instances, the more affordable renewable options.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question, Mr. Cooper. In the submission I made, we listed a number of projects, totalling in the order of $8 billion, that we consider to be shovel-ready and that do not require any federal assistance whatsoever. The biggest challenge is on the regulatory side.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CGA is the voice of Canada's natural gas delivery industry. Our utilities deliver service to over 20 million of your constituents in homes, businesses and industries through over 570,000 kilometres of energy infrastructure. In 2018 natural gas met 35% of Canada's energy needs.

Finance committee  Mr. Chairman, it takes political will, too.

Finance committee  Mr. Chairman, I would reduce the regulatory burden.

Finance committee  With regard to our proposal in our pre-budget submission for the expansion of the gas system to rural and remote communities—I focused on the rural in my earlier remarks, but it applies to remote communities—I would note that we're having conversations with players in the Northwest Territories and the other two territories as well, and also with what I'll call the near north.

Finance committee  A fund for rural and remote expansion would assist with the core infrastructure costs for communities like those in your riding. Straight up, that's the way we could assist. You mentioned the system in Inuvik. As you know, it's Canada's most northerly distribution utility. When local supply was drying up, the arrangement was made for the trucking of liquid natural gas from the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.

Finance committee  I didn't check this morning, but yes, it's under $4, I believe.

Finance committee  The industry is quite supportive, and that support is growing. The challenge, as you know, given your own experience in the industry, is that margins are incredibly small. The decision to switch fuels represents a significant economic cost to an independent trucker, so the trucker wants to know that the infrastructure is going to be there if they do so.