http://www.republicofmining.com/2017/02/23/news-release-erin-otoole-announces-energy-natural-resources-policy/

NEWS RELEASE: Erin O’Toole announces Energy & Natural Resources Policy

“Making the opportunities of Ontario’s Ring of Fire a national priority
by declaring chromite a nationally significant resource and the development
of the Ring of Fire as a project of national significance. This will allow
the Government of Canada to take the lead on the Ring of Fire and expedite
the transportation corridor urgently needed to attract more investment into
the many northern Ontario communities which sought to host the Ring of Fire’s
infrastructure.” Erin O’Toole

OTTAWA, February 23, 2017 – Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Erin O’Toole today announced his plan to reinvigorate Canada’s economy by advancing major energy and natural resource projects.

O’Toole announced that, as Prime Minister, he will support the energy and natural resource sectors by:
• Passing a National Strategic Pipelines Act, declaring major pipeline projects, including Energy East, as strategic to Canada’s economic interests.

o A pipeline will be determined to be Nationally Strategic if it meets two criteria: it provides foreign market access directly or by tidewater; or, it delivers the resource to a refining or upgrading facility in Canada.
o The federal government will have a direct role in ensuring that these projects move forward, including working directly with communities along the pipeline routes particularly with respect to watershed management.
o Any pipeline that traverses a major river or aquifer will be subject to enhanced annual inspection requirements and a 3-year review process to ensure that all safety equipment, mitigation measures and response procedures remain world class.
o Indigenous communities will continue to be consulted from start to finish.

• Ensuring that approvals include plans to guarantee that communities along the pipeline, particularly Indigenous communities, share in prosperity.
o An O’Toole government will work with Indigenous business leaders to create a National Indigenous Procurement Policy that applies to resource sector as well as to the offsets from defence procurement.
• Making the opportunities of Ontario’s Ring of Fire a national priority by declaring chromite a nationally significant resource and the development of the Ring of Fire as a project of national significance. This will allow the Government of Canada to take the lead on the Ring of Fire and expedite the transportation corridor urgently needed to attract more investment into the many northern Ontario communities which sought to host the Ring of Fire’s infrastructure.
• Connecting remote Indigenous communities in the region to the transportation corridor and electricity grid. Many communities still rely on diesel generators with fuel often flown in.
• Scrapping the northern drilling ban unless northerners themselves choose to keep it.
• Offering the territories control over their resources, similar to what the Atlantic Accords gave to Atlantic Canada, and be the primary beneficiaries of the development of their resources.

Erin O’Toole invited all Canadians to join him and stand up for a prosperous Canada. The detailed policy is attached.

Quotes:

“Liberals don’t support Canada’s energy and natural resource industries. Historically, they tried to impoverish Alberta with the National Energy Program and are trying again today with the Carbon Tax. They abandoned the Northern Gateway Pipeline – a project thoroughly reviewed and approved under the Conservative government. And they have all but ignored northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire. While they have since allowed the National Energy Board to complete the reviews of two other pipelines started under the last government, the Trudeau Liberals are not willing to spend the political capital necessary to ensure those pipelines and mining infrastructure are built.” – Erin O’Toole, MP Durham (Ontario).

“Unfortunately, the Wynne government’s inability to negotiate terms for infrastructure and energy pricing meant that companies and Indigenous communities could not finalize their consultation efforts. As Prime Minister, I will respect Canada’s energy and natural resource workers and the benefit all Canadians receive from exploring, harnessing, upgrading and delivering our resources to global markets. I will invest in the Ring of Fire. By facilitating a transportation corridor, the opportunity of a century will not be squandered.” – Erin O’Toole, MP Durham (Ontario).