As the Official Opposition, we are disappointed to learn of TransCanada’s decision to terminate their Energy East and Eastern Mainline pipelines.
Once again, the Sask. Party has proven that their unbalanced approach, rhetoric, and grandstanding have failed to get pipelines to tidewater built and hurt the Saskatchewan economy at a time when 40,000 people in the province are unemployed and looking for work.
Properly regulated pipelines are the safest way to transport oil and we remain committed to getting our resources to market. We have long supported the Energy East project as part of a balanced approach to grow the Saskatchewan economy. Thousands of jobs would have been created by this project, over $4 billion in economic activity would have been generated in Saskatchewan, and the dependence on imported oil from overseas and the United States could have been reduced.
The people of Saskatchewan as well as those who invest in our natural resources and our energy economy need a government that will put the bluster aside and, instead, provide clarity, long-term planning, and a responsible plan to protect the air we breathe, water we drink, and the land we live on.