Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and indigenous energy experts are calling out Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault, now minister of Canadian identity and culture, for comments about the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) and oil demand.In a media scrum Wednesday, Guilbeault spoke against additional Canadian pipelines, creating confusion about Government of Canada intentions as they relate to oil-producing regions. "People should remember that we bought a pipeline, Trans Mountain, and that is only used right now at about 40% capacity," he said. "So, I think before we start talking about building an entire new pipeline, maybe we should maximize the use of existing infrastructure."Smith shot back on X."Canada’s new “Canadian Identity” minister @s_guilbeault just deceived Canadians saying we don’t need more pipelines because the TMX pipeline is only 40% full and peak oil will be in 2 years," tweeted Smith."The facts are that TMX, which just opened and would have been built entirely with private dollars if Ottawa hadn’t made it impossible for the original proponent to build it, is already close to capacity. "Further most estimates of demand for bitumen shows it growing for several more decades and that it will be needed to replace declining U.S. conventional oil fields. This is just another example of how misleading and destructive this former environment minister was to Alberta’s and Canada’s economy and investment climate. We ask for the new environment minister @juliedabrusin to disavow his comments and commit to working with Alberta to build new pipelines to access new markets."Analyst Melissa Mbarki challenged Guilbeault on social media, stating, "TMX is running at 80%, so I'm not sure where he is getting 40% from. Prime Minister Carney is saying one thing and the minister of Canadian culture and identity is saying another. Not great messaging to the premiers or moving towards the 'One Canada' approach.".Guilbeault cited the Canada Energy Regulator and the International Energy Agency (IEA), saying that by 2028-29, global oil demand will peak, as will demand in Canada."So, as far as I know, there are no investors right now, there are no companies that are saying that they want to build an east-west pipeline, and as you know, these things are built by companies," he said.Businessman Chris Sankey, a member of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation, a Coast Tsimshian community near Prince Rupert, B.C., told the Western Standard Guilbeault is misinformed.Sankey said oil and gas demand will persist for the next 50 to 100 years — indigenous communities are becoming major energy sector business owners, particularly with LNG."It's just crazy what that guy thinks," said Sankey of Guilbeault. "I mean, he's continuing to hurt the entire economic engine for Canada by making comments like that. It impacts those of us who are trying to get (resources) to tidewater, and it causes nothing but backlash."The IEA World Energy Outlook 2024 (released October 2024) projects oil demand peaking by 2030 at around 106 mb/d under current policies.
