Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
Tech

Pipelines As Political? Natural Resources Minister Says It's Not A Bad Thing

Darpan News Desk, 05 Feb, 2016 11:46 AM
    CALGARY — Canada's natural resources minister isn't shying away from describing the decision-making process for pipelines as political.
     
    Industry players often lament how political the pipeline debate has become and the uncertainty that brings to their projects.
     
    But Jim Carr says deciding whether a pipeline is in Canada's national interest is just as much a political consideration as any piece of legislation or budget measure the government handles on a daily basis.
     
    The National Energy Board, an arms-length regulator, conducts hearings and makes a recommendation on pipelines, but the federal cabinet has the final say.
     
    Carr was grilled on the Liberal government's approach to pipeline oversight in front of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
     
    Seated at the head table were the bosses of companies behind two contentious proposals before the National Energy Board — Russ Girling with TransCanada and Ian Anderson with Kinder Morgan Canada.
     
    Last week, Carr and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced changes to pipeline reviews governing projects such as TransCanada's proposed Energy East pipeline to New Brunswick and Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain expansion to the Vancouver area.
     
     
    The changes include adding an assessment of a pipeline's broader climate change impacts and enhanced consultation with affected indigenous communities.
     
    While some may have a cynical interpretation of "political" in the context of pipelines, Carr frames it more positively.
     
    "I see political as a word that is at the very heart of our democracy. We're elected on a platform. We have a mandate from the prime minister. We're held accountable for achieving those goals," he told reporters.
     
    "We're held accountable by the prime minister and the government. We're held (accountable) by the people of Canada, ultimately. And if you've got a better way, let me know."

    MORE Tech ARTICLES

    Review: Apple's New Photos App For Mac Makes It Easy To Fix, Crop And Organize Your Pictures

    Review: Apple's New Photos App For Mac Makes It Easy To Fix, Crop And Organize Your Pictures
    NEW YORK — If you're like most people, those hundreds of photos you took on vacation are still on your camera or phone. You shared a handful on Facebook or Instagram, and tell yourself that you'll sift through the others — one day.

    Review: Apple's New Photos App For Mac Makes It Easy To Fix, Crop And Organize Your Pictures

    It's Not So Simple: Your Guide To Trying On, Ordering Apple Watch

    It's Not So Simple: Your Guide To Trying On, Ordering Apple Watch
    NEW YORK — Buying an Apple Watch won't be as simple as walking into an Apple store and handing over your credit card.

    It's Not So Simple: Your Guide To Trying On, Ordering Apple Watch

    Why Flipkart, India’s Amazon Rival, Just Hired Another Top Google Exec Peeyush Ranjan

    Why Flipkart, India’s Amazon Rival, Just Hired Another Top Google Exec Peeyush Ranjan
    Leading e-retail player Flipkart hired Google India's former research head Peeyush Ranjan as engineering head to drive its technology initiatives.

    Why Flipkart, India’s Amazon Rival, Just Hired Another Top Google Exec Peeyush Ranjan

    Now, Retweet With A Comment Of Your Own

    Now, Retweet With A Comment Of Your Own
    Twitter has launched a new feature that allows users to retweet with a comment of their own. "Retweet with comment" allows users to embed a tweet in their own tweets, which lets them get around Twitter's 140-character limit when they write their own commentary.

    Now, Retweet With A Comment Of Your Own

    Why More People Are Sharing Less On Facebook

    Why More People Are Sharing Less On Facebook
    If you have cut down on the amount of content you share on Facebook or Twitter even as your lists of friends and followers grow, you are not alone.

    Why More People Are Sharing Less On Facebook

    Now Check Your Yahoo Account On Gmail

    Now Check Your Yahoo Account On Gmail
    No matter how many email addresses you have, a new Gmail app makes it possible to see all your mail accounts (even @yahoo and @outlook) on Gmail itself.

    Now Check Your Yahoo Account On Gmail