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Carr said regulatory certainty will increase when the federal government announces reforms in the coming months to the NEB and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

Those reforms are in the legislative drafting stage. They aim to deliver clear and predictable timelines for energy project reviews and will spell out how to conduct appropriate Indigenous consultation and accommodation, Carr said.

“We want to rebuild confidence among Canadians for the regulatory process,” he said. “We believe that what will emerge from this will inspire more confidence and that good projects should be dealt with in a timely way.”

Carr said the reforms would also include climate-change impacts because projects bear directly on Canada’s international responsibilities to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.

However, he said there will still be room for oil pipelines because Alberta has been taking steps to reduce its emissions, including the adoption of a 100-megatonne cap for the oilsands industry.

Carr confirmed that the NEB’s headquarters would stay in Calgary. Critics argued that its offices should be moved because staff was too close to the oil-and-gas sector to make unbiased decisions.

“The NEB will have plenty to do and will have plenty to do in Calgary,” Carr said, though some offices may be located elsewhere.

Carr said major energy infrastructure projects are controversial and promote divisions of opinion.

They are also complicated by timing — decisions have to be made at a particular political and economic point, while consequences last for generations.

“You have to have the vision to know that your grandchildren will need this energy, but it’s going to be very tough for us as politicians to make the decisions today,” he said. “Well, the courageous leaders make the decisions and make the arguments to bring the people with them.”

Financial Post

ccattaneo@nationalpost.com