Canadians across the country are shocked at the lack of leadership from the Prime Minister or his government as the dispute between British Columbia and Alberta over the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline project escalates.
Last week, as the situation worsened, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left Canada on a foreign tour in the United States. What he should have been doing is working to protect the families and workers who depend on Canada’s resource industry for their livelihoods.
Canada’s Conservatives believe in independent, scientific decision-making processes, such as the one that the Trans Mountain Expansion project went through, in order to be approved by the government. This project will create jobs and opportunity right across the country – from the west coast of British Columbia to workers in Atlantic Canada.
But if left unresolved, this fight will cost jobs and investment far and wide. So many sectors are impacted when the government does not support nation-building projects like this one. Construction workers are held off the job. Work on the factory floor comes to a halt as orders slow down in an uncertain manufacturing climate. Investment evaporates thanks to a Liberal government that has no intention ever seeing a pipeline built. Incredibly, even local industries like wine making in BC have been caught in the crossfire, all while Justin Trudeau remains silent.
So far the Liberals have done nothing but talk. On Monday, Canada’s Conservatives demanded that the Liberals be transparent about their plan to ensure that the Trans Mountain pipeline will get built, but the Liberals refused. Sadly, Liberal MP Kent Hehr voted against that simple request, further calling into question how dedicated this Liberal government is to supporting Canadian workers.
It’s time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to show leadership and take action to defuse this dangerous situation.
Sincerely,
Shannon Stubbs, MP
Lakeland