MP Report: What is “just” about this transition?

Dear Constituents,

After 8 years of the Liberal government, it has become clear that Justin Trudeau has a limited understanding of the difference between the policies that improve our environment and those that lead to wealth redistribution in Canada. It is obvious because when it comes to the environment, the Trudeau Liberals have failed to meet any of the targets they set for themselves. Yet, they accumulated more national debt than all the previous Canadian governments combined.

After 8 years, it has become clear that the Liberal environmental policy is not based on actual science, but on political science. They call it “Just Transition” and claim to support workers and communities that “may be impacted by changes in the energy sector”, by the changes they themselves have imposed. Their approach to the environment is failing the Canadian economy. Trudeau’s carbon tax policy directly impacts the ability of Canadian businesses to compete globally, and the trust that once existed between investors and the Canadian Government is all but gone.

Liberals continue to play politics with Canadians. The only thing they seem to be able to do is generate misleading talking points and set targets that will never become a reality. In fact, after 8 long years of Justin Trudeau’s government, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions not only haven’t been reduced, but the Liberals are not even on track to meet the 2030 emissions reduction targets that they have previously set. In other words, the Liberals are in charge; they are doing what they do best – mismanaging.

As a nature lover, I care deeply about the environment. However, unlike Justin Trudeau, I do not believe we should be sacrificing the Canadian economy and the future of Canadians under the ideological guise called “Just Transition.” Trudeau claims to ensure a “fair transition for workers and communities affected by the shift to a low-carbon economy,” but his policies have resulted in job losses in the energy sector all over Canada and economic hardship for workers and communities reliant on fossil-fuel-based industries.

Furthermore, I believe it led to unequal distribution of benefits among Canadians, with marginalized communities and workers clearly being left behind. In the last 8 years, Trudeau’s ideological crusade against Canada’s oil and gas sector was accompanied by inadequate support and compensation for workers and communities that were negatively impacted by his “Just Transition.” As your member of Parliament, I know that Canadian energy workers need a government that will champion their jobs, pipeline projects, and get our world-class products to market.

Right now, many Canadians are fueling their cars with high-carbon oil from places like Saudi Arabia, with some of the worst carbon emission policies in the world, not to mention the terrible human rights violations. Currently, the Liberal government’s anti-energy policies prevent Canada from helping our NATO allies who depend on Russian energy and face a very unsafe future. Everyone is struggling, including Canadians, with high energy costs, and yet, we are sitting on the third largest proven oil reserve in the world and have trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.

By the way, replacing coal fired generation with natural gas fired generation is the single most efficient and affordable way to massively reduce emissions globally. Too bad Trudeau killed the 14 LNG export terminal projects he inherited in 2015. The lack of wisdom of that decision is now obvious as the rest of the free world struggles to disconnect itself from dictator oil and gas.

Canada has the most ethically extracted oil and gas in the world. We hold ourselves to the highest labour and environmental standards. The industry has already made tremendous strides to produce less emission-intensive products, and they continue to work hard to improve even more. They should be supported in their efforts to transform the landscape of Canadian energy to meet future consumer demand in an economically responsible way, not punished for it. We have a moral and ethical duty to supply our friends and allies with reliable energy, using the proceeds to promote democracy and peace in the world.

As your Member of Parliament, I will continue to stand up for workers in the oil and gas sector against misguided and harmful Liberal policies. I believe that we must simultaneously address a crisis of rising costs, a problem of national unity, and a crisis of waning hope of economic inclusion for many Canadians – particularly young people. Canada has the capacity to do all these things. Conservatives will make energy more affordable! My colleagues and I will axe the carbon tax, and approve sensible energy projects that create paycheques for people, and ensure Canadas place in the world as a reliable source of ethical energy.