Conservatives Demand Immediate Action on Energy East

Ottawa, ON – Conservative Members of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Mark Strahl, Critic for Natural Resources, John Barlow, MP for Foothills, and Shannon Stubbs, MP for Lakeland, are calling on the Minister of Natural Resources to stand up for energy workers and immediately restart the pipeline review process for the proposed Energy East pipeline.

“Over 110,000 energy workers have lost their jobs since the Liberals took office. They are losing their homes and they are losing hope for their futures,” said MP Strahl. “It’s high time that the Minister of Natural Resources stood up for these working families and the communities they live in by getting the pipeline review process restarted immediately.”

Last month, the three member panel charged with reviewing the proposed Energy East pipeline resigned, bringing the review hearings to a sudden stop. With public hearings suspended and no date set for when a new panel will be installed, the project and the tens of thousands of workers it would employ remain in limbo. The Liberals have taken no action to date to appoint a new panel.

“The Liberals have added unnecessary red tape and bureaucratic delays to the independent pipeline review process,” said MP Stubbs. “The workers in my riding and right across the country can’t afford any further dithering on this file. They can’t afford to wait any longer for a decision.”

The Official Opposition continues to support an independent, science-based environmental regulatory review for energy projects like the Energy East pipeline, and believes in the responsible development of oil and gas resources and safe and modern pipeline infrastructure.

“We know that safe and modern pipelines are the safest way to transport our oil and gas resources,” said MP Barlow. “Canadian refineries should be able to use Canadian oil, and pipelines like Energy East will allow that to happen. It’s time to get the process back on track.”