Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Bryan Brulotte: Canada can't afford another unbuilt pipeline

Ottawa should designate the project as being in the national interest

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Canada’s greatest energy problem is not that we produce too little oil. It is that we have spent more than a decade making it increasingly difficult to sell it. Ottawa’s decision to support, in principle, a new pipeline to Canada’s Pacific coast is encouraging, but approval alone will not restore investor confidence. Trust, once lost, must be earned back. For years, governments layered Canada’s energy sector with carbon taxes, increasingly complex regulations, emissions caps, tanker restrictions and political uncertainty. Investors responded exactly as rational investors should. They invested elsewhere.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

The evidence is impossible to ignore. Northern Gateway was cancelled after Enbridge had already invested approximately $373 million. Energy East collapsed after TC Energy spent roughly $1 billion pursuing approvals. Kinder Morgan ultimately abandoned the Trans Mountain Expansion, forcing Ottawa to purchase the project for $4.5 billion before its total construction cost climbed from an estimated $5.4 billion to approximately $34........

© National Post