Want to see pipelines built?
Four Red Deer-Mountain View federal election candidates gave their thoughts on the subject during an all-candidates election forum, held Oct. 9 at the TransCanada Theatre, in advance of the Oct. 21 federal election.
Paul Mitchell of the People's Party of Canada and incumbent Conservative Party candidate Earl Dreeshen say their parties will ensure pipelines get built.
In contrast, Green Party candidate Conner Borle and NDP candidate Logan Garbanewski said rather than supporting pipelines, their parties would help people in the oilpatch "transition" into green energy and projects.
Liberal Party candidate Gary Tremblay was not at the forum. He told a reporter he did not attend the Olds forum because he was working on another Liberal candidate’s campaign in Calgary. He did attend a forum in Sundre earlier.
Mitchell said his party — whether elected as a government or holding the balance of power — will impose pipelines, including the Trans Mountain pipeline, by invoking section 92(10) of the Constitution.
According to Wikipedia, that section, through clauses a and b, gives the federal government jurisdiction over inter-provincial and international transportation and communication.
"We're not going to put up with that nonsense anymore. we're going to fight for Alberta and our oil and gas sector," he said, sparking applause and cheers.
According to Mitchell, those who oppose the oil and gas industry say ''if we don't get off fossil fuels by the next election that there will some kind of environmental apocalypse and this is crazy talk."
He said the energy corridor, promoted by Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, will go nowhere because it will require support from environmentalists, aboriginal groups, and the provinces, even though Quebec and B.C. have voiced their opposition to any pipelines going through their territories.
Dreeshen said a Conservative government would ensure pipelines — including Trans Mountain — get built.
"Definitely, there's no reason why that shouldn't be pushed through right now. It is a case of easements that are already there and it is something that needs to be done. So yes, we will forcefully go through that. It is a national project and it must go through. And we have already stated that," he said.
Dreeshen conceded it would take time to create an energy corridor.
He said pipelines aren't being held up as a result of concerns about the environment.
"It's because of business issues," Dreeshen said. "We have groups that are out there trying to undermine the Canadian industry. And that's where we're so concerned about what's happening. That's one of the things that we've got to solve in the future," he said, sparking applause.
"The oil and gas sector provides jobs for approximately 60,000 Canadians every year. But the oil and gas sector is slowing down and we want to invest in renewable energies, which is the fastest growing industry in the entire world right now," Borle said.
Borle listed three initiatives he described as "massive infrastructure projects that would produce many more jobs than the Trans Mountain pipeline — an eco retrofit program, a rebuild of public transportation and energy grids to be built across the country.
That way "maybe Quebec could send some of their power here," Borle said, provoking some laughter. "And it would provide and produce jobs at a higher rate than what the energy oil and gas sector does right now."
He said the Green Party also wants to first invest in upgraders and refineries rather than the oilsands, saying that way, Canadians would get a higher price for the upgraded or refined product than they can for raw resources like bitumen.
Garbanewski said the NDP would promote small businesses rather than large corporations.
"We also believe that we need to end all subsidies to these mega oil corporations and stop paying them to take our natural resources out and stop paying them to sell it back to us at a higher rate," he said.
The forum was organized and supported by the Olds and District Chamber of Commerce, the Didsbury and District Chamber of Commerce, Carstairs Chamber of Commerce, Mountain View Publishing, 96.5 CKFM and Rock 104.5, and the Community Learning Campus. More than 130 people attended.
