Liberals deny Conservative push for Trans Mountain pipeline probe
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are refusing to let two ministers overseeing the Trans Mountain pipeline appear before a committee of MPs to explain what’s next for the expansion project after a court ruling threw its future in doubt.
Liberal MPs on the natural resources committee used their majority Tuesday to quash a Conservative motion that called for six special meetings to probe the pipeline’s prospects and drill into why the government bought the existing pipeline for $4.5 billion, knowing a court decision questioning the approval process was pending.
As part of the proposal, Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi would have been summoned to explain what’s next for the Trans Mountain expansion project after the Federal Court of Appeal last week overturned project approvals.
Conservative natural resources critic Shannon Stubbs said the court ruling was clear that problems with the approval process occurred during consultations with Indigenous communities that took place after the Liberals took office. She said the Liberals have failed to live up to their word that they would do what was needed to get the pipeline built.