By Charles Lefebvre

Motz says Liberals need to show leadership on Trans Mountain project

Apr 9, 2018 | 3:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat’s Member of Parliament says the recent decision by Kinder Morgan to suspend non-essential work on the site of the Trans Mountain Pipeline project can be blamed on the Liberal government.

“To me, and I think Canadians will recognize this very, very quickly, the blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government,” he said. “They have given us nothing but empty words, hollow promises and have taken no actions.”

On Sunday afternoon, Kinder Morgan suspended non-essential work and spending on the project, citing the British Columbia government’s ongoing opposition and legal challenges against the project. Kinder Morgan has also set a May 31 deadline for an agreement that would ensure the project would proceed.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has indicated Alberta would consider taking an equity stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline project if investors consider backing away.

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Motz says the rules the Liberal government has implemented to get pipeline projects approved have instead resulted in projects getting delayed or shut down, citing Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline, which was vetoed by the federal government in 2016, and the Energy East pipeline, which TransCanada cancelled last year.

“There’s no other sector in Canada that has this scrutiny that the energy sector has,” he said. “It will continue to drive investment away from the Canadian economy, from the Canadian energy sector, and it does nothing to improve our workers, our middle class, and certainly our full Canadian economy.”

Motz adds those decisions have reduced optimism that the Trans Mountain Pipeline project will be completed.

“The fact that they vetoes Northern Gateway, they got in the way of Energy East, I’m not as confident as I once was,” he said. “They’re going to have to show the Canadian public that they’re going to put up or shut up.

“Right now, our Canadian economy needs this, our Canadian workers need this.”

Motz says the Conservative Party will continue to put pressure on the Liberal government on the project, but says actual leadership needs to be shown by the Liberals.

“We’ve heard (the prime minister) speak in the house, we’ve heard him speak to the media, we’ve heard the Minister of Energy say ‘We are firmly behind the Trans Mountain Pipeline.’ Well, what does firmly behind mean when you’re allowing for the disruption, for those who have no regard for the Constitution, no regards for the rule of law, to interfere with this project?” he said.

-With files from the Canadian Press.