As Parliament resumes, Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May has outlined key priorities for the fall sitting, with a focus on the questions she says the federal government must answer before major projects are declared to be in Canada’s national interest. 

On the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline, May called for an independent financial assessment before Cabinet determines whether the project is in the national interest, pointing to the Parliamentary Budget Office as a possible source of third-party scrutiny.

“Any project must be supported by an independent assessment of the economic viability of the project,” said May. “A cost-benefit analysis must be transparent and verified by a third party, such as the Parliamentary Budget Office, demonstrating that it is a project that will finish on time and in the black. Taxpayers need to know if the project is good value for money.”

May said the decision could also establish an important precedent for how future projects are considered under the Building Canada Act. “This decision will be the first under the Building Canada Act. As such, it would be wise for the Privy Council to establish by precedent what the Cabinet will require of all future projects to be considered in the ‘national interest,’” she said.

May questioned the project’s business case, pointing to a discrepancy between the Canada Gazette, which refers to crude oil, and Alberta’s project description, which identifies diluted bitumen. “The market analysis for the product being shipped is very different for crude oil than for dilbit,” she said. “Prior to deciding whether a second pipeline to British Columbia is in the ‘national interest’ there must be a transparent cost-benefit analysis that examines the market for unprocessed bitumen in other markets.”

On climate change, May argued that moving forward with a new pipeline would contradict Parliament’s previous recognition of the climate emergency. “The House of Commons voted that we are in a climate emergency,” she said. “Building a new pipeline will only confirm that we are a Parliament of liars.”

On Canadian investment, May questioned whether a greater share of Canada Pension Plan funds could be invested domestically and put to work in the Canadian economy, while acknowledging that the issue requires a broader discussion.

Across the priorities she raised, May emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability from the federal government. “My goal is, through persistent, respectful questioning, to get answers,” she said.

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