Premier says federal bill threatens flood protection

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This article was published 12/12/2018 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister has added his voice to the chorus of opponents to a federal bill that critics say would stifle investment in the oil and gas industry.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Pallister called on Ottawa to place a hold on Bill C-69, which is before the Senate.

He said if it becomes law, it would also threaten to unduly lengthen the time required to build hydro transmission lines or flood-protection projects, such as the planned outlets for Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.

Neither the Trans-Canada Highway nor the country’s trans-continental railways would have been built under the current regulatory and political climate, the premier argued.

He said this paralysis threatens national unity.

“If we can’t even build flood protection in Manitoba without extensive delays occurring, then our confederation is stalled,” the premier said. “And I don’t think it’s too strong to say that we’re moving in a direction where we’re inviting disharmony among our Canadian provinces.”

Ottawa says Bill C-69 would provide greater regulatory certainty and predictability for companies looking to invest in resource development. The energy sector and the Alberta government disagree, calling it flawed.

Pallister said he fears the proposed legislation would make it “almost impossible” to carry out resource-based projects in Canada. He said it would also blur jurisdictional boundaries over these projects, creating “fog” when what is needed is clarity, and making lawyers rich as a result.

He said resource projects could be delayed unnecessarily for long periods of time “and perhaps forever” because “one or another interest group has to be listened to.”

“The federal government has said that it wants to reduce red tape. The federal government has said that it wants to reduce interprovincial barriers to trade. And I applaud those words. But you can’t say one thing and do another that is totally contradictory at the same time,” Pallister said.

He said he can respect a project review process that gives “considerable attention” to the long-term environmental sustainability of the country. But he said economic sustainability is important, too.

Pallister has said that the approval process for the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin projects was to have taken a year, but he said Ottawa has changed the rules mid-stream. He worries the process will take considerably longer, delaying flood protection for vulnerable communities.

Meanwhile, Pallister criticized the federal government for failing to challenge a controversial statement Quebec Premier François Legault made recently regarding the attempted resumption of the Energy East pipeline project. Legault said he didn’t want Canada’s “dirty energy” to flow though Quebec.

Without mentioning Legault by name, Pallister suggested the comment was hypocritical since Quebec’s largest import is crude oil from Saudi Arabia, Colombia and other countries.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca