Canada will fast track the approval process for a new proposed crude oil export pipeline to its west coast that could generate over C$20 billion ($14 billion) a year in GDP, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday.
The pipeline, which was announced in July, is a crucial part of Carney’s bid to diversify the economy away from the United States and help lessen the effect of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Carney said Ottawa would officially list the Pacific Link pipeline as a project of national interest, which enables it proceed through a single federal regulatory review process. He said Ottawa aimed to complete the process by September 1, 2027.
Which is fair, and I get that. It’s a complicated question of just how critical it is for our future success and prosperity though. He’s making a gamble that this is the best use of resources and political capital and it’s either going to prove very smart, or it’s going to be a boat anchor on our economy for decades and the chance of either is a coin flip.
On the other hand, we’re going to be building infrastructure for burning more fossil fuels during a climate emergency. It doesn’t look like we’re making healthy choices.
Why are we building infrastructure for using expensive and dirty fuel?