As the Federal government receives the final American approval to build the Keystone XL pipeline, one Northern BC MLA questions its integrity.
Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad believes BC needs to market its own materials more efficiently with international investors.
He claims our regional standards are better than anywhere else in the world in terms of providing resources.
“We need to also make sure that we conduct these projects in an environmentally sound way, but the key is, whether it’s Keystone in the States, or whether it is LNG up in Alaska, investments go to other jurisdictions because for one reason or another, we just cannot get our act together.”
Rustad also believes the provincial government is continuing to waste its money on battling previously-approved industry projects.
For local LNG projects, such as Site C and the Kinder Morgan TransMountain pipeline, he thinks they should be considered thoroughly before jumping ship right away.
“When you’re talking about companies who are investing billions and billions of dollars, we need to be able to have consistent, steady approach. Make sure it’s done right and that it’s done respectfully, but you have to have the ability to track that and currently in British Columbia, we just do not have that with the NDP government.”
Rustad adds he’s disappointed to see some of his previous Liberal government’s work go to waste, claiming to have created strong relations with First Nations in the process, in terms of job growth and economic prosperity.
The 1,900-kilometre Keystone project is planned to run from central Alberta through to south Texas to Port Arthur along the Gulf of Mexico.
