NDP react to Trans Mountain Pipeline update

NDP Critic for Natural Resources, Charlie Angus, and the Critic for the Environment, Laurel Collins, made the following joint statement:

"People across Canada are already living with the dire impacts of the climate emergency. They’re turning to the federal government for help in responding to the climate crisis.

Instead of taking the bold actions needed to meet the urgency of the moment, the Liberals continue to bend over backwards to support big oil companies with fossil fuel subsidies. They approved the Trans Mountain expansion project despite the serious concerns of Indigenous rights holders and the substantial risks to the environment, marine life and coastal communities.

While the government continues to justify the ballooning costs of the pipeline expansion - ironically promising to use the profits to fight climate change - Canadians know this is a fantasy. The Parliamentary Budget Officer reported last year that if the costs increased or if it was delayed again, the project would no longer be profitable.

Today's news is just more proof that the Liberals should never have gone ahead with the project. Instead, they should have invested in helping communities and workers meet the challenges created by the climate crisis.

The government has spent billions of dollars of public money on this project, and they continue to give out billions in subsidies to big oil and gas companies. New Democrats know that money would be better spent supporting workers and creating new jobs as we move toward renewable energy. We'll continue to urge the government to end all fossil fuel subsidies now and redirect those funds to low carbon initiatives that will create good jobs for Canadian workers. "