RNNR Committee Report

NDP Supplementary Opinion to Oil Sands Report

Overall the Natural Resources Committee report titled Oil Sands: Toward Sustainable Development seems fairly comprehensive.  The Natural Resources Committee’s goal was to examine the impacts of oil sands development on the economy, the environment and on social structures.

While the New Democratic Party supports many of the recommendations in the report, and respects the province of Alberta’s jurisdiction over the development of its natural resources, we also believe that the Federal Government has a role to play in environmental protection, housing and post secondary education and training, as well as other sectors that the committee touched on.

While the committee was in Fort McMurray we spent all of our time with the oil companies, we were escorted around in buses and helicopters.  This was a good way to see the project and ask the Chief Executive Officers and their representatives a lot of questions, but I feel that we missed an opportunity and left out a whole segment of society who are also impacted.

The Natural Resources Committee interviewed many witnesses, primarily those involved with the direct development of the resource.  A few environmental non-governmental organizations were interviewed but on the social impacts side, we didn’t go far enough.  We interviewed the Mayor of Wood Buffalo and one First Nations Elder from one Band.  If this is to be a real balanced report it is incumbent on the committee to interview social service agencies in the area, workers, (especially those whose families live in other provinces), and First Nations representatives from other Bands in the area.

I have heard indirectly, many heart wrenching stories of families separated for many months because of the inability to access adequate housing, but it would have been good for the committee to hear those stories first hand.  Some may argue that housing is not a federal government responsibility but the NDP has been calling for a national housing strategy for many years.  The federal government has a role to play in providing funding as it has done in the past through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to cover the full range of housing needs, including social housing, co-operative housing and affordable home ownership. 

Labour shortages are having an impact not only in the oil sands but across Canada.  Therefore the federal government must also address the skilled labour shortage across the country, including Alberta with a coordinated labour force strategy that addresses labour and skills shortages first by making the most efficient use of human resources at our disposal; increasing opportunities by investing in the skills development and credential recognition of our current population.  The federal government must also commit to funding for post-secondary education aimed at affordability and accessibility for students with particular emphasis on college programs to relieve the skilled trades shortage and establish quotas for apprenticeships and journeymen certification, with a targeted percentage for women and First Nations.

The committee made recommendations that the government undertake a comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of the oil sands development project already underway, and a full and detailed assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of oil sands activities, but it is our belief that education, housing and social structures will most likely be left out of the equation in that context.

Alberta is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in Canada at the rate of 40% of our total emissions.  With a looming expansion of this development expected to increase by at least five times in the next 10 to20 years, many Canadians are concerned about the sustainability and the advisability of expanding the project due to ever increasing pollution.  The NDP calls on the government to work with Alberta to establish a moratorium on new oil sands development and expansion until environmental concerns about the production of massive amounts of carbon emissions are addressed.

The NDP agrees that cleaner ways to power oil sands production need to be encouraged, however we believe that Nuclear power is not the answer for several reasons.  The amount of energy needed for the project would require more reactors than are currently operating in Canada, the problem of nuclear waste has not been solved, and there would be a considerable impact on the already depleted water supply.

The NDP feels that the issue of water consumption and pollution are having a negative effect on fish and fish habitat, as well as migratory birds and other wildlife.  Given that the committee heard testimony that the Government of Canada has not to date been involved in an environmental assessment process looking at all the impacts associated with oil sands projects, we would further recommend that an immediate environmental assessment be done with particular emphasis on examining the impacts of water consumption and pollution.

Respectfully submitted,

Catherine Bell, NDP

Member of Parliament

Vancouver Island North