Asking Minister Freeland about TMX Construction Delays
We lack transparency on a $10 Billion (so far) cost overrun, and how long construction will be delayed due to a woodpecker’s nest.
Today, I wrote to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose department oversees the Crown Corporation building the TMX pipeline. I have been trying for months to get answers from the Corporation about construction delays due to the discovery of a pileated woodpecker nest at Bridal Falls.
To be clear, the regulations regarding migratory bird protection were introduced AFTER the approval of the TMX project, and underlines the uncertainty that plagues major projects in Canada and contributes to investor doubt that any project can actually get built, let alone on the approved timeline and cost estimate. One never knows when a new regulation, policy or approval requirement will be introduced and throw the project into limbo.
There are also numerous questions about huge cost overruns attributed to “process”. Since this is taxpayer money, we deserve to know how it is being overspent – and frankly, who may be benefitting from the additional dollars distributed by the government.
The losses to Canada from lower resource prices and lost export opportunities ought to be of great concern to the Finance Minister. I have asked her to intervene to find answers to these questions.
You can read my letter:
Related Inforamtion
On March 27 2023 – The Minister of the Environment appeared before the Environment Committee to discuss Main Estimates and I questionned him about TMX and the construction delays.