Is Trudeau Government Laying Groundwork For Breaking Trans Mountain Pipeline Promise?

Considering they’ve broken every other promise, it’s a serious risk.

The Trudeau government appears to be laying the rhetorical groundwork for breaking their “this pipeline will be built” promise when it comes to the Trans Mountain Expansion.

After the deadline for a decision was already pushed back to May 22, Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi is now raising the possibility that a decision won’t be made at all – at least not until after the election:

No, I cannot commit to that because it’s not my decision. It’s the decision of the cabinet,” he said. “What I can commit to is that we will follow the process, we will continue to engage Indigenous communities in a meaningful two-way dialogue to ensure that our constitutional obligation is met.”

Disturbingly, Sohi’s apparent backtracking comes after an article from the former National Director of the Liberal Party, calling on Trudeau to kill the TransMountain Pipeline and basically campaign against Alberta in an effort to win the election:

“It was absolutely clear from both Trudeau and Notley that Alberta’s carbon tax was the quid pro quo for Trudeau’s commitment to a new or expanded pipeline. While lots of pundits (including Bricker) suggest that this so-called “grand bargain” is a millstone around Trudeau’s neck, it seems to me that it is in fact the solution to one of his biggest problems.

Why wouldn’t Trudeau proudly stand in Vancouver and tell British Columbians when Kenney axes the carbon tax that Alberta has broken its word and therefore he is not keeping his. Conveniently, Kenney has already said the deal is off during media rounds (here, for example).

So how should Trudeau respond? Don’t sell the pipeline (it was an expensive purchase and it currently turns a profit) but refuse to expand it until Alberta comes in line on climate change. Then go to Montreal and say the same thing about Energy East: it stays dead unless Alberta joins the global consensus on climate change.”

Is Trudeau starting to put that horrendous, divisive, and dangerous strategy into place?

We can’t be sure yet, but the government is unmistakably laying the groundwork for such a thing to happen, and we must keep a close eye on what they say going forward. As we know, Trudeau will stop at nothing to hold onto power, even if the consequence is the splitting of our nation and severe economic damage.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – YouTube