Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in Terrace today to reveal the plan for a “one and done” rule - which would fast track resource projects that get stuck in the Federal approval process.
“One desk called the Rapid Resource Project Office will handle all regulatory approvals across all levels of government, so businesses don’t have to waste time navigating through dozens of different agencies at three different levels of government.”
Poilievre says processes would be merged under his government.
“The double process right now, where you have to do the exact same environmental review three different times for three different levels of government, we’ll merge them together. One and done.”
But former MLA for Stikine Nathan Cullen has some critique for the one-and-done system proposed.
“What he’s missing is through relationship and understanding. The province of BC has already been able to make agreements with First Nations to have what’s called a, joint environmental assessment process. So with the Tahltan over mines, over particular mines we’ll say, let’s do the environmental assessment together. But you can’t force that. You can’t force that politically and you can’t force that legally. He can introduce whatever bill he wants, that it’s going to be one permit and you’re all going to say yes. And that will get shot down immediately by a thing called the Constitution of Canada. So unless he’s planning to also change the constitution, this is garbage. It’s not a real idea. And it’s unfortunate because some people will say, maybe that makes sense. It’s illegal. It would not work. ”
The one-and-done plan includes a commitment to approve phase 2 of the LNG Canada project. Poilievre emphasized the importance of the project, especially in the current global political landscape.
“I should point out we are selling natural gas for $4 per British thermal unit to the Americans, and it goes for $15 in Europe. So we’re selling something for four bucks that we could be getting $15 for. But for the fact that we don’t have any export terminals that can move the gas overseas, all of them blocked by the liberals. Only one is nearing completion. And that is LNG Canada here in this region, in Kitimat.”
The second phase of the LNG project that Poilievre says he would approve would include two new processing lines, known as trains, that would double the plant’s capacity to 28 million tons of LNG per year.
A final investment decision on phase 2 is expected to happen this year, before the plant’s initial production starts.