John Rustad is the leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nechako Lakes since 2005.Nowhere is the NDP’s misguided understanding of economic development more apparent than in its newly introduced Energy Statutes Amendment Act. The government is branding it as customary housekeeping for BC Hydro in order to begin construction of the North Coast Transmission Line, which they describe as “a nation-building project that will deliver clean electricity to power mines, to … port expansions.” In reality, the proposed Bill 31 is anything but routine. Beneath its bureaucratic language are changes that give Cabinet sweeping powers to determine who gets electricity, at what rate, and within whatever particular parameters they deem fit. It also allows agreements to be struck behind closed doors by eliminating the public oversight that all publicly owned utilities are bound by..BARBER: Trump brings home deals, Carney brings home nothing .These proposals embody the government’s broader attitude toward increasing BC’s trade capacity and growth potential. It is an approach defined by control, secrecy, and politically motivated constraints.It is a mentality that stands in stark contrast to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s “One Canadian Economy” initiative, which is premised on expediting approvals for major infrastructure that support his view of Canada as an “energy superpower.”From the perspective of a province blessed with such an extraordinary bounty of natural resources, Premier David Eby continues to serve as a stifling barrier to building a more prosperous path forward for all British Columbians..Which is absolutely baffling when considering their importance to our economy as well as the fact that BC has some of the world’s largest undeveloped reserves of critical minerals, precious metals, and natural gas.According to the Business Council of British Columbia, natural resource sectors collectively contribute over $45 billion to BC’s economy, representing 11% of the province’s GDP. They estimate that these industries account for more than 330,000 direct and indirect jobs across the province. Further, Statistics Canada calculates that each dollar of GDP from British Columbia’s resource sector has a multiplier effect of 0.93 on the rest of the economy.These are numbers that cannot be ignored. They are also numbers that should awaken foresight and leadership in charting a more fruitful course of action..STIRLING: When pipelines and projects were based on evidence, not ideology.While other provinces like Alberta and Ontario are actively investing in projects that build toward Canada’s energy superpower designation, BC is often the missing component to truly enabling this national vision.Access to Pacific tidal waters through our Ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Kitimat represent critical gateways to markets like China, India, Japan, and South Korea, which collectively now account for more than half of global energy and commodity demand. Unfortunately, Premier Eby continues to employ double-speak and self-serving politics as his preferred tactics. Take for example his comments attending several First Ministers meetings with his provincial counterparts. .On May 8, Eby stated that, “We have the opportunity for market diversification. We have the resources that the world needs and wants very badly…” A joint statement from all Premiers further emphasized this sentiment by stating that all “First Ministers agreed that Canada must work urgently to get Canadian natural resources and commodities to domestic and international markets.”On the national stage, he is comfortable playing the cheerleader for our national export dreams. Yet when he returns to BC, he feels the need to play differently to his narrow ideological political base. .OLDCORN: Is Ottawa trying to censor the Bible? Liberals' assault on Christianity continues.When Alberta Premier Danielle Smith followed this national gathering with talk of constructing an oil pipeline from Alberta to the BC coast, Eby stated that he could only offer consideration when a “real project” was on the table, rather than one which was “fictional.” He then went on to question whether proponents, funding, and environmental assessment would be feasible, commenting that on those tests, Smith’s plan “fails on every count.”These are not the words of a leader who is willing to play ball in facilitating the market diversification and growth that he spoke about back in May..The Conservative Party has consistently advocated for a pro-growth alternative that empowers national momentum towards new global opportunities and trade relationships. Instead of putting up barriers, we would work to receive federal fast-tract designations for a range of critical projects. We would return investment across the province by partnering with BC’s First Nations in transparent, benefit-sharing agreements. We would also transform the burdensome red tape, processes, and costs associated with major infrastructure so that our resource sectors can thrive, not dive..RUBENSTEIN: Residential school ‘denialism’ redux.At a time when the world is hungry for the resources that we as a province have in spades, this government is busy constructing bureaucratic roadblocks and congratulating itself for it. While Ottawa and the rest of the country are building in order to meet that global demand, Victoria is doing its damnedest to block progress at every turn. You can’t build an energy future by cutting the power lines to progress. It’s time for this government to stop trying to manage growth, and instead, start allowing it to happen.John Rustad is the leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nechako Lakes since 2005.
