Responsible energy policy critical to Canada’s economic future

The Liberal Party of Canada supports the responsible development of Canada’s energy potential and recognizes the positive contribution our natural resources have on economic growth and job creation, especially for middle-class families. But we also understand that resource development must be done in an environmentally responsible, sustainable way and through consensus building. This is a challenging time for the energy sector, with the recent drop in North American oil prices, the delay in pipeline approvals necessary to get our products to tide water, the need to win social license and the deferral or delay in billions of dollars of oil sands investments. In promoting the development of our natural resources, the federal government has a crucial responsibility to balance economic development, energy security, environmental and social-economic factors. And one of the Prime Minister’s fundamental duties is to open up markets abroad for Canadian resources and to help create sustainable ways to deliver those resources to market. Against this standard, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has failed miserably. After more than nine years in office, the Prime Minister’s Conservative government has failed to develop a sensible, credible approach to the environment and the economy. And Canadians are paying the price for that failure. For instance, the Prime Minister’s failure to adopt stronger, credible environmental policies has stalled the Keystone XL Pipeline Project. U.S. President Barak Obama has directly connected Canada’s carbon emissions to his reason for delaying Keystone. As the Keystone fiasco illustrates, if Canada does not demonstrate to the world that we have our act together on climate change and the environment, it will become harder and harder to find markets for our commodities. That’s why Liberals believe the federal government should immediately collaborate with the provinces and territories to tackle Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and put a price on carbon. Despite Prime Minister Harper’s hostility to the idea, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec—and soon Ontario—have all committed, in various forms, to a price on carbon. Combined, those jurisdictions represent over 85 per cent of the Canadian economy. And we’ve seen these provinces move to price carbon in ways that help, rather than hurt, their economies. Unfortunately, even greater progress on this front is limited by a lack of federal leadership. Any serious plan to reduce carbon emissions requires a federal government that is open, engaged, and committed to partnering with the provinces and territories. We must find a way to restore public trust if we are to acquire the social license to develop our resources and grow our economy. Canadians don’t trust that we are living up to our international obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They don’t trust that we’re respecting the rights of aboriginal peoples and treating them as partners in resource development. And they don’t trust that there is adequate oversight in the approval of projects when you have a government that buries significant changes to environmental protection laws inside omnibus budget bills. That’s why we feel there is a clear need for federal leadership when it comes to energy and the environment. The Liberal Party is pushing for a collaborative plan to move Canada to a low-carbon, clean-energy economy. We support putting a price on carbon and ending subsidies to wealthy oil companies. And we are also advocating for greater investment in renewable energy. We believe the development of green energy technology will lead to the creation of good, high-wage jobs for Canadians, greater exports to our global partners, lower GHG emissions, and greater economic prosperity for Canada. To be successful over the long term, Canada must develop a well-diversified and low-carbon economy. Consensus building is the only responsible way to turn resource opportunities into economic realities. We need to draw on our intelligence, our ability and willingness to solve problems as much as we draw on the resources themselves. Clearly, the Conservative approach is not working. As a country, we need a federal government that is prepared to work with other key players to build a coherent strategy to develop our natural resources so we can realize our energy potential, create jobs and grow our economy. Liberal MP Geoff Regan, who represents Halifax West, N.S., is his party’s critic for natural resources. news@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Responsible energy policy critical to Canada’s economic future

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Responsible energy policy critical to Canada’s economic future

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