Natural Resources committee  But I would say that making the case publicly by our politicians would be part of it.

Natural Resources committee  It's hard to generalize, because it's project-based. You have some projects that are very competitive and some that aren't. It depends on how you built it and what kind of wiggle room you have.

Natural Resources committee  I'm not sure “streamlining” is the right word. I'm not sure what we're looking for in the way of streamlining. I'll repeat: we don't necessarily want it to be an easy process.

Natural Resources committee  We know the impact of changing in midstream; we know that makes people nervous. We don't know whether it's going to achieve the result we want in terms of getting a greater buy-in from communities, and we are a little bit skeptical that that's going to result. We're worried that

Natural Resources committee  That's the million-dollar question. I know there is a big project at the University of Ottawa run by Monica Gattinger. They're looking at that very question, at how these processes work and what actually works to convince people. It's a question that's not just for oil and gas.

Natural Resources committee  I can't speak directly to that issue. I haven't heard that from my membership, so I wouldn't have a background to say that. It would be pure speculation on my part.

Natural Resources committee  There's a conception, particularly with regard to the oil sands, that they're so high priced they're uncompetitive. But in 2014, if you look at the SAGD, the in situ production, the average costs were cheaper than they were in the U.S. They were cheaper than what they were in Nor

Natural Resources committee  I think any business person across any industry will tell you the one thing that they're really looking for in government regulation is certainty and predictability. If those two conditions don't exist, it's difficult to make long-term investments. This is particularly the case i

Natural Resources committee  I wouldn't say I have the expertise to say percentage-wise. Obviously, one of the reasons bitumens in particular trade below North American prices is because they tend to be heavier, so that quality differentiation is definitely part of the cost, and that's a natural thing. My

Natural Resources committee  Thank you.

Natural Resources committee  Ever since 2011, when our first revolution on carbon pricing was approved, one of the main points we made was that, unless it's aligned with trading partners, the price of carbon can cause a lack of competitiveness. This should be of concern to people concerned about the climate

Natural Resources committee  Of course, the direct impact of the construction of the actual pipeline has an important impact. I would say that the flexibility it offers to local refineries in order to compete in what is a very competitive refinery market in North America would be another consideration. The a

Natural Resources committee  It's an interesting question. Obviously, there is only one—I guess there are two, the Kinder Morgan and the Northern Gateway. I think with the Northern Gateway the big issue that has arisen has been, of course, the aboriginal indigenous communities along the route, and the concer

Natural Resources committee  Absolutely, I would say that the Canadian environmental assessment processes are crucial. Our membership is not afraid of, or opposed to, rigorous processes, as long as they are clear and certain. In fact, through discussion with the communities and the regulators, often ideas fo

Natural Resources committee  Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is that the five interim principles apply to the cabinet decision-making process and not so much to the NEB process.