Ottawa, ON- Last week The Hon. Candice Bergen, Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar and the Official Opposition Critic for Natural Resources put forward a motion asking all Members of Parliament to voice their support for the energy sector, and specifically the Energy East pipeline project. Despite the thousands of jobs and economic opportunity that this project could offer the long-suffering energy sector the motion was defeated when the Liberal Government voted against it.
“I’m very disappointed that the Prime Minister whipped his caucus into voting against this important motion,” stated Bergen. “There has been a pattern developing out of the Prime Minister’s office that shows that this Liberal Government doesn’t understand the important role the Energy Sector plays for the Canadian Economy. All projects need to go through an environmental and community assessment process, that goes without saying. But to be unable to stand up and say that they support this integral piece of infrastructure in principal is not only disappointing, but disturbing.”
The motion introduced by MP Bergen was not a binding measure. It was designed to send a signal to industry, to the men and women out of work and the investors who are skeptically watching the oil patch, that in principal, Canada support pipelines.
“The benefits that Energy East can bring will stretch across the country,” concluded Bergen. “There are Members on the Government benches, Members like Wayne Long from Saint John – Rothesay who campaigned on this issue saying ‘Let me very clear on Energy East, Wayne Long is pro-pipeline and Wayne Long is pro-Energy East…’ and was forced to vote against it today by the Prime Minister."
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