The Harper government moved Friday to streamline the review and decision-making process for the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, which has emerged as one of the most contentious mega-projects of modern times.
To prevent any more delays in the National Energy Board-directed study of the feasibility of the $6-billion plan to ship oilsands-derived crude through northern British Columbia, the Conservatives said the review must be completed by no later than December 2013.
Published | Publié: 2012-08-03
Received | Reçu: 2012-08-03 2:44 AM
GLOBE AND MAIL (METRO)
REPORT ON BUSINESS, Page: B1
CARRIE TAIT
Enbridge Inc.'s regulatory woes are deepening in the wake of its most recent oil spill, with a U.S. watchdog telling the company it must hire an independent party to supervise a new safety plan for a 3,000-kilometre pipeline network. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Calgary-based Enbridge must examine procedures on its entire Lakehead pipeline network before it will allow the company to restart Line 14, which is part of the system that leaked last Friday.
NDP wants public review after SEC alleges insider trading.
Sneh Duggal
Of all of Ottawa's foreign diplomats, Yemen's man in Ottawa might have the most intimate grasp of the impending acquisition of Canadian oil and gas producer Nexen Inc. by state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation Ltd.
That's because not only has Nexen been present in Yemen since 1987, but Yemeni Ambassador Khaled Bahah worked for the company for almost a dozen years—from 1992 to 2005, minus a couple of years in between, and before becoming Yemen's oil minister.
With SEC filing insider trading complaint, Conservatives must allow public review of deal
OTTAWA – New Democrats are renewing their push for greater public scrutiny of the proposed buyout of Nexen by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) after serious allegations of insider trading were raised by the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) late last week.
OTTAWA – Today’s announcement to further restrict EI qualifications is just another example of bad news for Canadians hidden within the Conservatives’ Trojan Horse budget bill, according to the NDP.
“The Minister has failed the most basic test of accountability when it comes to these new restrictions,� said New Democrat Finance Critic Peggy Nash. “Conservative Ministers have been making up a different story everyday and are simply mismanaging Employment Insurance. They didn’t even bother to consult Canadians, or the provinces, before announcing these arbitrary changes.�
OTTAWA – Today, the New Democrat Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Caucus announced the launch of Rainbow Day a LGBT shadow program which will take place this May 1st.
“It is time that LGBT youth see firsthand what a positive impact that they can have,� said NDP Associate Critic for LGBT Dany Morin (Chicoutimi—Le Fjord).
Working in conjunction with Jer’s Vision, Rainbow Day will be an annual event in Ottawa that will pair MPs from the LGBT caucus with students to see what life is like on Parliament Hill.
“These new measures will severely gut the environmental protection process in Canada,� said NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie. “After slashing funding to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, they’re now saddling it with the obligation to do more complex reviews, faster, with fewer resources..�
“On the one hand, businesses that had measured the social acceptability of their project through an extensive environmental assessment process would know where they stand before investing large sums of money,� added NDP Deputy Environment Critic, Laurin Liu. “On the other hand, quality environmental protection allows Canada to improve trade relations, as we are currently seen as an environmental offender.�
OTTAWA – New Democrats are condemning the Conservatives for having launched an apparent dirty tricks campaign during the last campaign.
Reports out today link harassing election robocalls to RackNine Inc of Edmonton and to the Conservative Party of Canada.
"Cynical old-style politics have become a trademark for the Conservatives," said New Democrat leader Nycole Turmel. "Just a few months ago they pled guilty to breaking election spending laws, now they’ve upped the ante with what looks like the most widespread and systematic voter suppression campaign in Canadian history."
“This is a wakeup call for the Harper government. If the federal government had made responsible choices, and had regulated environmental impacts of oil sands projects at the outset, Canada would not be in this position,� said Leslie. “Instead, we have seen furious lobbying and bully tactics, including the demonization of Canadian citizens and threats of trade wars.�
OTTAWA – New Democrats Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby–Douglas) and Deputy Critic for Democratic Reform Alexandrine Latendresse (Louis-Saint-Laurent) are applauding today’s debate on their motion to allow Canadians to directly influence the topics of discussion in Parliament.
The motion would allow an e-petition submission process where certified petitions garnering 50,000 or more signatures would trigger an hour of Parliamentary debate.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA - The Conservative government covered expenses for some of the country's top executives as they accompanied the prime minister around China a year ago, a move business leaders and officials defend as a good investment.
The trip signalled a change of approach for Stephen Harper, who for years eschewed the idea of leading big trade offensives abroad.
OTTAWA — With a week to go before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, Official Opposition Environment critics, Megan Leslie (Halifax) and Laurin Liu (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles) were joined by several young Quebec MPs urging the government to take action to combat climate change on behalf of future generations.
“It’s a question of intergenerational equity. We must leave a healthy planet for our children. This begins with action from the government, otherwise the cost of climate change in Canada could reach $5 billion per year in 2020,� said Megan Leslie.