----  Billions for a pipeline is a mistake

 

As we enter a second wave of COVID-19, Canada’s unemployment rate is still hovering near 11%. In oil-dependent cities like Calgary, the unemployment rate stands closer to 15%— hit by the dual crisis of the global pandemic and oil price collapse. 

Right now, we are being confronted with world-shifting decisions that will determine not only how we navigate COVID-19, but how we weather the overlapping crises of climate change, a weak social safety net, and a cratering oil and gas industry. But, instead of investing in the economy of tomorrow, Trudeau seems desperately hanging onto the past, pouring tens of billions of public dollars into the Trans Mountain pipeline. Alberta communities deserve better than false pipeline promises. We all deserve strong public services, good unionized jobs, and an economy that gives us a shot at a liveable future.  

Dianne Clausmann

Ottawa