Andrew Scheer's Plan to rid Canada of Foreign Oil
Canada is a resource-rich country, and we should be thankful for of that. Aside from minerals, potash, and lumber, we also have the third-largest oil reserves in the world. Because of this, it is so important that we show leadership on market access and responsible resource development to help our economy thrive and keep Canada competitive on the world stage.
Because there is no reliable way to ship Canadian oil to central and Eastern Canada, we spend billions a year importing oil, including from OPEC countries such as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Angola. These are countries with terrible human rights and environmental records.
Over the last five years, Canada imported an average of 745,000 barrels of oil a day at an annual cost of $23 Billion, all because we cannot transport our oil within our own country. So much of that money should be staying in Canada’s economy. We can accomplish this by ensuring market access for Canadians to use Canadian oil.
As Prime Minister, I will:
1. Approve the Energy East pipeline
- Bringing Western Canadian oil to Eastern provinces would eliminate our need to import foreign oil.
- This would create over 14 thousand jobs across the Canadian economy.
- TransCanada predicts this pipeline would transport 1.1 million barrels of oil per day.
- The federal government needs to cut the red tape and allow Canadian businesses to create jobs.
2. Expedite infrastructure projects related to the energy sector
There is no reason we should have to be dependent on any foreign import based on a lack of infrastructure. Therefore I will prioritize Federal infrastructure projects that enhance access to natural resource reserves
3. Show Canadians where their oil comes from
- In order to increase awareness among Canadians about where their oil comes from, we would mandate companies to display at the pump if any of their oil was sourced from foreign countries. This would allow Canadian consumers to make the choice to purchase Canadian-sourced, ethically produced oil.
- Monitoring and auditing of the displays would be done by the Department of Natural Resources.
4. Increase tax credits on Innovation in Environmental sustainability in resource development
- In recognition of the amazing work Canadian companies are doing in creating and fostering innovation in environmentally responsible resource development, I propose an extra 10% on existing SR&ED tax credits on environmental innovation in resource development.