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ST. ANDREWS, N.B. – The federal natural resources minister says the Liberal government will take its time devising a new environmental review process for pipeline projects to ensure “the confidence of the Canadian people,” despite calls from some to begin building pipelines now.

Oil companies have dramatically scaled back production and investment in the Canadian oil sands as the price of oil has plummeted to around $30 per barrel. The result has been massive layoffs and widespread economic turmoil in western Canada, which has also had an impact nationally.

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Contributing to the problem is the fact Canadian oil cannot reach markets outside the United States. This has resulted in what analysts describe as a discount on Canadian oil, which means producers make less on it than they would selling to other markets.

In response, the Alberta government is calling on the federal government to begin moving on new pipelines. Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci told the CBC over the weekend “that pipeline access is critical for not only Alberta, but for the whole country.”