Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs says the Liberals have once again failed Canadians with their latest announcement on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. On Wednesday Natural Resource Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the Liberal government will not be appealing a court ruling that prevents the expansion from moving forward.
Sohi also said they would redo consultations with Indigenous groups affected by the project in his announcement, as well as appointed former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci to oversee the new consultations.
“The Federal Court of Appeal gave the Liberals clear directions to address their failure to properly consult with Indigenous communities. But instead of following those directions, the government announced they will launch another process, with no timeline, that will only further delay construction,” said Stubbs in a statement alongside Shadow Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Cathy McLeod.
In August, the court cited two major issues with the project: first, the Government of Canada failed to adequately consult Indigenous communities and second, the National Energy Board’s review was so flawed that the government could not rely on it.
Sohi said in a news conference that the Liberals are not going to put a timeline on the consultations because they feel that it is their duty to engage with the Indigenous communities to get it right.