The recent announcement that Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project and Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project were approved is great news for Albertans. With construction slated to begin in 2017, the pipelines are projected to be in service by 2019. These projects promise to generate much needed revenue for the provinces and Canada.

The 1,150-kilometre Trans Mountain project spanning Alberta and BC will twin the current pipeline and more than double its capacity. The Enbridge project, which travels from Alberta to Manitoba before crossing the U.S. border, will replace 1,660 kilometres of existing pipeline with new pipeline. 

These approvals prove that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 process works. These projects met the science- and evidence-based regulatory process the previous Conservative government put in place, a process that ensures resource projects can operate in an environmentally sustainable way. 

It is a shame the Liberals undermined the process by ignoring recommendations for the Northern Gateway project. Canada’s natural resources are key to creating good jobs. Petroleum products are essential to the way of life we enjoy in western society; they enable us to feed the world, heat our homes and provide stable funding for health care. 

As a member of the Official Opposition, I will always stand up for responsible resource development and a strong economy. Conservatives have long championed the development of the resource industry and recognized its potential to create jobs and long-term opportunities for Canadian families.