Varcoe: Carney government needs 'quick wins' from energy projects and to address internal challenges on Bill C-5, says new report
'This is an existential moment for Canada where we have both an opportunity and an obligation to become both more prosperous and more sovereign.'
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Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Calgary Herald recently it is 'highly likely' an oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast will be included on the federal list, although he said it will be up to private sector proponents to drive any proposal.
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The report calls Bill C-5 a 'welcome transformative step' as it will allow Ottawa to streamline the authorization of major projects and approve them within two years, co-ordinated by a single federal office. It will also help meet the growing need for energy in the world.
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'There is low-hanging fruit. Some things are ready to go . . . Time is ticking,' report co-author Heather Exner-Pirot said in an interview.
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'Let's start seeing some action. Let's start seeing some projects.'
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If the changes under Bill C-5 had been in place for three energy projects that were completed earlier this decade — the Trans Mountain expansion, LNG Canada and the Coastal GasLink pipeline — it would have been valuable, but led to a 'relatively modest' average time savings of 1.5 years, the study notes.
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These findings highlight the need to address challenges early in the development of a major project, it states.
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Projects that should be on the list and can move quickly include the Ksi Lisims LNG project on the northwest B.C. coast, a second phase of LNG Canada, and steps to boost the capacity of Trans Mountain, said Exner-Pirot, who is also director of natural resources, energy and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
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However, the bill has sparked some criticism about the impact of speeding up the approval process, and Carney met with First Nations leaders last week and heard some of their concerns with Bill C-5.
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'Free, prior and informed consent on First Nations Lands is non-negotiable. An advisory role is inadequate for real partnership,' Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nation said Friday in a news release.
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'I will trust actions over words as we look to move forward.'
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To mitigate risks and concerns about an expedited approval process, Ottawa needs to 'deepen Indigenous engagement . . . to ensure genuine, equitable partnerships and meaningful participation,' states the report from the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations, which includes academics, energy experts and business leaders.
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'Consultation should begin as early as possible and continue throughout the project lifecycle.'
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The report says Ottawa should launch a formal process surrounding co-developing benefit-sharing and equity ownership agreements with Indigenous communities for major projects. It recommends transparent standards for consultation, such as timelines and public disclosure of the outcomes.
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'I'm not saying Build Canada Homes is a bad idea,' she said. 'But there's stuff that could be happening tomorrow and there's stuff that should be happening tomorrow.'
