United Conservatives Call for Emergency Debate to Ensure Successful Construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project

EDMONTON, AB (May 30, 2018) – Today, United Conservative House Leader Jason Nixon called on the NDP government to hold an Emergency Debate in the Legislature to discuss how best to ensure the successful construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, following yesterday’s news that pipeline proponent Kinder Morgan will be walking away from the project and the Government of Canada is now pursuing ownership.

“While we are glad that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was not permanently cancelled yesterday, the deal does nothing to address the existing uncertainty,” said United Conservative House Leader Jason Nixon. “It’s time for clear and decisive action to ensure certainty for a project that is in Alberta’s vital economic interests.”

In the Legislature, Alberta’s NDP stood to argue against the United Conservative motion to allow for meaningful debate on ensuring certainty for the future of the much-needed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion:

Be it resolved that the ordinary business of the Legislative Assembly be adjourned to discuss a matter of urgent public importance; namely, the need to discuss what measures must be taken to ensure that construction of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is completed following the withdrawal of Kinder Morgan, the recently announced deal with the Government of Canada, and the declaration of continued opposition and uncertainty from the NDP Government of British Columbia.

Throughout the past year, United Conservatives have been calling on the Alberta NDP government and the Liberal government in Ottawa to take decisive action against obstruction posed by British Columbia’s NDP government.

“It’s unfortunate that the NDP and their Trudeau Liberal allies tried to ignore the growing threat posed by the BC NDP government for several months, creating uncertainty for future investment in the energy industry and the jobs that depend on it,” Nixon concluded.

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion originally proposed by Kinder Morgan would allow greater access to world markets for Alberta’s natural resources, better securing Canada’s economic future. The Conference Board of Canada has estimated that the Trans Mountain Expansion Project will create the equivalent of 15,000 construction jobs and 37,000 direct and indirect jobs per year of operation.