N.B. premier’s involvement in pro-pipeline rally questioned

A convoy of hundreds of pro-pipeline supporters has reached Parliament Hill to protest the Liberal government’s energy and environmental policies.

Premier Blaine Higgs joined his Conservative counterparts Saturday on a panel speaking out against Bill C-69. Also in attendance was Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer who is promising to scrap the controversial carbon tax if elected.

“We feel that our country is being decimated in term of its natural resources being deflated in value by the current government is well known, so it is a concern and if that aligns with Andrew Scheer than so be it. I will make no apologies for it,” explained Premier Blaine Higgs.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We feel that our country is being decimated in term of its natural resources being deflated in value by the current government is well known, so it is a concern and if that aligns with Andrew Scheer than so be it. I will make no apologies for it," explained Premier Blaine Higgs.

But the optics cannot be ignored in the province’s capital.

“Certainly it seems like Premier Higgs is inserting himself in the federal election campaign. That’s his prerogative, but I don’t know if that’s the best thing for New Brunswick,” says Green Party Leader David Coon.

The premier’s attendance is raising questions closer to home in the province’s capital.

“Why is he putting so much of his attention on championing causes for folks out in western, in Alberta, and causes that are supportive of the large oil companies?” Coon added.

This comes at a time when TransCanada is looking for permission to sign supply contracts to ship gas from west to east. Its being touted as a stable and inexpensive supply of natural gas, and something the province needs after the offshore supply in Nova Scotia was shut down last year.

“Resources are going to be transported one way or the other, whether it’s oil gas or whatever it is and if you can use a pipeline it just seems to make more sense, it seems to be safer and more efficient,” says Kris Austin, the leader of the People’s Alliance.

But not everyone is on board with the application, including the New Brunswick’s Conservation Council.

“We need to act to reduce pollution not run in the opposite direction and build more pipelines and burn more gas oil or coal. Look we know that’s bad for our health and bad for our economy,” explains the council’s executive director Lois Corbett.

TransCanada says it has more than a dozen companies willing to sign on and it’s awaiting approval from the National Energy Board, which isn’t expected until closer to the end of the summer.