Alberta Chambers of Commerce sound alarm at Canada’s growing divisions over infrastructure projects
Ken Kobly, Alberta Chamber of Commerce President and CEO — Photo courtesy Ken Kobly, ACC
According to the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of Canada is being put at risk by our inability to get energy resources to global markets and the increasing tensions between Canadians who live in resource-producing regions and other parts of Canada.
New federal legislation, such as Bill C-69, does not clearly explain the requirements for companies to build pipelines and other infrastructure that helps move our goods to other countries. This undermines investment in Canada’s businesses and forces us to sell our oil at a discounted rate. The lost revenue for Government resulting from being unable to move oil is about $7.2 billion a year, an equivalent amount to doubling the pay of every teacher in Alberta.
We are joining hundreds of other chambers of commerce and boards of trade across the country today to demand immediate improvements to Canada’s broken regulatory system to ensure our energy resources get to international markets.
“Canada’s economic well-being is at risk, in addition to political and regional tensions straining the unity of our country. We need to come together as Canadians to deliver a pointed message to politicians in Ottawa and across the country: the businesses in your jurisdictions want you act and act now,” said Ken Kobly, ACC President and CEO. "Chambers of commerce across the country in every region have been communicating the importance of resolving the regulatory uncertainty discouraging investment, and limiting job opportunities for Canadians across the nation.
“The first priority is to fix Bill C-69. The government also needs to immediately start making headway to ensure our resources get to tidewater and global markets, and implement the additional measures to improve Canada's regulatory regime as promised in the Fall Economic Update. Canadians have had enough of the talk. We want to see real, concrete actions,” added Kobly.
There is enormous demand for Canadian energy products, which are some of the cleanest and most ethically-produced in the world, to displace coal as an energy source within growing economies like China and India.
Alberta's business community wants the real priorities of Canadians to be the priorities Canada's political representatives take action on. Canada is squandering an opportunity to put more money in the pockets of every single Canadian and fight climate change at the same time.
