Pipelines & politics: Where the parties stand on oil & gas issues
If elected, the Liberals will launch an immediate review of Canada’s regulatory process for oil and gas projects, the NDP will work with provinces to put a price on carbon, and the Green Party’s Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan will give every Canadian over age 18 an annual carbon dividend. The incumbent Conservatives oppose all these plans, as the Canadian political parties paint starkly different visions of the country’s oil and gas sector.
Here are their views on key oil and gas issues:
Are you in favour of, or opposed to, TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL project?
Bloc Québécois: This decision is up to the Americans. However, the Bloc Québécois supports ambitious targets gas reduction of greenhouse gases and tar sands development is incompatible with the achievement of these objectives.
Conservatives: Yes. Keystone XL will create jobs for Canadian and American workers, while enhancing the energy security of North America. We agree with the U.S. State Department that Keystone XL should be approved on its merits. The State Department has indicated it can be developed in an environmentally sustainable manner. Canadian and American crude carried by Keystone XL will replace imports of insecure crude from Venezuela, which has the same or higher GHG emissions.
Green Party: As Elizabeth May said: “Every pipeline – whether it’s Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, Kinder Morgan’s expansion through Burnaby Mountain to the Burrard Inlet, Energy East, or Keystone XL, are all about one thing: getting raw, unprocessed bitumen to coastlines. These pipelines and supertankers are premised on a risky economic strategy. We have already seen how Harper’s strategy of putting all our eggs in the bitumen basket has hurt our economy.”
Liberals: Liberals support Keystone XL. On balance, it would create jobs and growth, strengthen our ties with the world’s most important market, and generate wealth. It would also offer much needed flexibility to a constrained continental energy delivery system.
The Conservative government has failed to move the yardsticks on approval for the Keystone XL pipeline. Instead of working together to resolve obstacles to approval, the Prime Minister and others have taken every opportunity to make it harder for the Americans to allow Keystone to proceed.
If we had stronger environmental policy in this country – stronger, transparent oversight, tougher penalties, and a means to price carbon pollution – the Keystone XL pipeline would have been approved already.
If we do not demonstrate to the world that we have our act together as a country on the environment, we will find it harder and harder to get our resources to global markets.
NDP: We don’t think this is the right project for Canada. Keystone XL will ship away thousands of quality, well-paid jobs south of the border. The government should be doing more to protect value-added upgrading jobs right here in Canada. Stephen Harper has been ignoring environmental concerns and pushing full speed ahead with a pipeline proposal, and Justin Trudeau has been cheering him on.
The reality is that there are serious concerns on both sides of the border about the Keystone XL project, and Hillary Clinton’s recent comments in opposition to the pipeline reflect this reality. Conservative inaction on the environment has led to widespread opposition and is threatening our relationship with some of our closest trading partners. We need to find the right balance, something the Conservatives have refused to do.
Are you in favour of, or opposed to, Kinder Morgan Inc.’s Trans Mountain XL project?
Bloc Québécois: This decision is up to the Americans. However, the Bloc Québécois supports ambitious targets gas reduction of greenhouse gases and tar sands development is incompatible with the achievement of these objectives.
Conservatives: We do not take positions on specific proposals for energy infrastructure before thorough, rigorous, science-based review by the independent regulator is complete. Subject to independent review, our government supports energy infrastructure that would generate revenue for critical social programs including health care, pensions and education. We have been clear: projects will only proceed if they are safe for Canadians and safe for the environment. Proposals can only move forward once the proponent satisfies the independent National Energy Board’s conditions and demonstrates the pipeline can be operated safely.
Green Party: The Green Party is opposed to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain XL project. Kinder Morgan proposes a seven-fold increase in oil sands tanker traffic through Vancouver and Burnaby. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will endanger local ecosystems and economies. The Green Party strongly opposes any increase in tanker traffic, and has advocated for a legislated ban on supertankers on the British Columbia coast.
As an intervenor in the NEB approval process, Elizabeth May has fought against the expanded pipeline. Lynne Quarmby, Green Party Science Policy Critic and candidate (Burnaby-North Seymour), became the face of public opposition to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion when she was arrested as a protester on Burnaby Mountain in November 2014.
Liberals: Liberals believe that Canada needs new infrastructure, including pipelines, to move our energy resources to domestic and global markets. However these projects must earn the trust of local communities, respect indigenous rights, and cannot put our lands and waters at risk.
The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain project is undergoing an environmental assessment, and it would be inappropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the review.
The Conservatives have not gotten a single pipeline project approved in 10 years because they torqued the review process and ignored environmental concerns and proper consultation. Their polarizing approach to resource development and pipelines has hurt rather than enhanced Canada’s ability to get resources to market.
NDP: Every project needs to be evaluated on its merits, like safety, environmental soundness and economic impact, with full community consultation and strong environmental protections. This project can’t be given a proper review in the absence of a thorough, credible, complete assessment process – something that the Conservatives have dismantled. We will adopt a responsible, sustainable environmental review process that puts communities and Canadian interests first.
Are you in favour of, or opposed to, Enbridge Inc. Northern Gateway project?
Bloc Québécois: The Bloc Québécois defends the prerogative of Quebec and the provinces to decide whether pipelines can cross their territory. It is up to British Columbia and its government to accept or reject the Northern Gateway project. However, the Bloc Québécois defends ambitious targets gas reduction of greenhouse gases and tar sands development is incompatible with the achievement of these objectives.
Conservatives: The government accepted the independent Panel’s recommendation to impose 209 conditions on the Northern Gateway Pipelines’ proposal. The proponent must demonstrate to the independent regulator, the National Energy Board, how it will meet the 209 conditions.
It will also have to apply for regulatory permits and authorizations from federal and provincial governments. In addition, consultations with Aboriginal communities are required under many of the 209 conditions that have been established and as part of the process for regulatory authorizations and permits. No proposals can proceed unless they are safe for Canadians and safe for the environment.
Green Party: The Northern Gateway pipeline asks B.C. to take an unacceptably high risk with our natural environment, salmon, Great Bear Rainforest, coastlines, tourism and fisheries. It is a twinned pipeline over a thousand kilometres, over some of the most rugged wilderness. We strongly support the legal challenge of the unbalanced decision by eight First Nations, four environmental groups and one labour union to overturn the approval.
Liberals: Liberals reject the Conservatives’ decision to approve the Northern Gateway Project in British Columbia. We have serious concerns about how this pipeline will affect the coastal economy and the environment, local communities, and First Nations.
The entire review process failed to consult adequately with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, and Canadians have not been reassured that the local economy and environment will be protected.
We are committed to reversing the decision to approve this pipeline if we should form the government after the next election.
NDP: New Democrats oppose the Northern Gateway project because it puts jobs and the B.C. coastline at risk. It’s not surprising that the B.C. Government, First Nations and communities have rejected this project. The proposal would send Eiffel-Tower-sized supertankers into some of the world’s most dangerous waters, off of one of the world’s most fragile coastlines. The risks are simply unacceptable. Even a modest spill will contaminate this pristine coastline for decades—ravaging the tourism industry and the salmon fishery. The only people that seem to be interested in pushing through this project are Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.
Are you in favour of, or opposed to, TransCanada Corp.’s Energy East project?
Bloc Québécois: The Bloc Québécois is opposed to any new pipeline project in the territory of Quebec for export, including East Energy project.
Conservatives: Again, we support proposals for energy infrastructure subject to thorough, rigorous and science-based review by the independent regulator. We’re disappointed the Liberals refuse to clearly express their support for this job creating proposal. New proposals for energy infrastructure create Canadian jobs and further replace foreign crude in Quebec and Atlantic Canada with a secure source of Canadian crude.
We support energy infrastructure that would generate revenue for critical social programs including health care, pensions and education. Proposals can only move forward when the proponent satisfies the independent National Energy Board’s conditions and demonstrates the pipeline can be operated safely.
Green Party: We oppose Energy East and its proposal to increase tanker traffic through the Bay of Fundy. Even the Ontario Energy Board has ruled that Energy East poses more risks than benefits.
Liberals: Liberals believe that Canada needs new infrastructure, including pipelines, to move our energy resources to domestic and global markets. However these projects must earn the trust of local communities, respect Indigenous rights, and cannot put our lands and waters at risk.
The Energy East project is undergoing an environmental assessment, and it would be inappropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the review.
The Conservatives have not gotten a single pipeline project approved in 10 years because they torqued the review process and ignored environmental concerns and proper consultation. Their polarizing approach to resource development and pipelines has hurt rather than enhanced Canada’s ability to get resources to market.
NDP: Moving oil from west to east makes sense, but it’s not responsible to go ahead with Energy East unless there’s a strong environmental review regime in place. We know that the Conservatives just want to rubber stamp these projects. Refining Canadian oil in Canada makes sense, but we need to ensure that a strong environmental review regime is in place to determine if projects like Energy East are safe and sustainable before they can proceed. An NDP government will strengthen the environmental assessment regime to ensure that the public interest and our environment are protected.