After years of frustration for Alberta’s plans for pipeline construction under the Trudeau Liberal government, Prime Minister Mark Carney has hinted that his government could well be the one to finally approve the fabled pipelines. He has even almost teased Alberta with the prospect, alluding to the possibility while never actually stating that is the plan. After the first five approved major projects were recently announced, and a pipeline was not on the list, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appears to have decided to take matters into her own hands. Considering how abysmally Alberta has been treated by federal Liberals for years, you can’t blame her.
Smith’s gambit is to offer to lead the planning for a new oil pipeline project, with the co-operation of an advisory group composed of pipeline companies South Bow, Trans Mountain and Enbridge. She proposed that her government would be the first advocate for a new pipeline to the north coast of B.C. and is committing $14 million put together the proposal to the Major Projects Office by May of next year. The proposal would include the identification of a route to the West Coast and estimates for the cost of such a project. Smith stated that the provincial government had no intention of building this pipeline itself but wanted to start the ball rolling so private sector companies would be interested in participating. This is the only sensible way to get these projects built.
There has been much discussion of late on whether the Canadian private sector is able to participate in large infrastructure projects. This issue came up with the B.C. ferry project, where the BC and federal governments have contracted with a Chinese company to build the multi-million-dollar ferries. As more information has been revealed, it seems that there was no good reason to farm out this project to the Chinese, as the ferries could easily have been built in Canada. It appears that government bureaucrats, who are regularly lobbied by other countries such as China, end up choosing foreign companies for our infrastructure projects instead of considering Canadian companies who are more than capable of doing the job.
Carney has said he will be publicizing the next prioritized major projects within six weeks. Smith wants her pipeline proposal to be included in that list, stating that Alberta needs a signal that the federal government is willing to work with the province, not against it as it has in the past. All Canadians should be in favour of this, as success for the Alberta energy industry always produces very positive results for Canada as a whole.
Alberta’s oil and gas sector has been the single largest contributor to Canada’s economy for many years. The fact it has been sabotaged by Liberal government policies for the last decade is a key reason Canada’s economy is in such bad shape today. It’s not rocket science to suggest that a re-invigoration of our oil and gas sector is the key to boosting Canada’s economy and bringing back the foreign and domestic investment that Canada has been lacking for the last ten years of Liberal government neglect.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also weighed in on the topic, calling the proposed pipeline a “litmus test for the Carney government.” Indeed, it is. So far Carney has gotten away with being coy about the possibility of one or more pipelines being included in the approved “major projects” list. It’s time to fish or cut bait, Prime Minister.
Canada’s subsidized media has been active criticizing Smith, as they continue to do the bidding of their benefactors, Canada’s Liberal government. Canada’s legacy media has become almost laughable, as they do nothing to further the interests of Canada, but are so concerned about continuing to receive their taxpayer subsidies – without the approval of the taxpayers who are funding them – that they are effectively reduced to mouthpieces for the federal Liberals. How disappointing for Canada.
Carney’s tenure to date has been characterized by much vague talk and many “possible” projects, with very little actual commitment or hard decisions that need to be made. Even the first five projects approved by the new bureaucracy created by Carney, the “Major Projects Office,” were things that are either half built or already approved and underway. This is of course a means of convincing Canadians that Carney is “getting things done,” even though these projects had nothing to do with his actions. The reality is he hasn’t actually initiated any new projects himself, despite his earlier promises to “build at speeds not seen in generations” and “build baby build.”
Smith’s challenge to Carney to build the pipeline that Canada desperately needs, for the benefit of the entire country, will indeed be a litmus test for the Liberal Prime Minister. Good on her for putting his feet to the fire.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
