Jody Wilson-Raybould questions the project's economic viability, and says there is too much uncertainty and division

Decision day on the Trans Mountain pipeline is Tuesday, and the former Attorney General is hoping it won't go ahead

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Canada’s former Attorney General says she would rather the federal government not move forward with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project.

Independent Vancouver-Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould wrote about that in a blog post ahead of a decision on the project set for tomorrow.

The federal government is set to make and announce a decision tomorrow on TMX. There are many considerations – check out my latest blog – ‘My thoughts on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion’: https://t.co/ciDlYnz26O. #VanGran — Jody Wilson-Raybould (@Puglaas) June 17, 2019

In that post, she writes there’s too much uncertainty and division over the project, and also questions it’s economic viability.

“Apart from what may or may not happen if TMX is approved, for me, and others, it is still an open question whether there is a compelling economic case for the expansion project. At the end of the day the economic viability of the project is ultimately tied to the question of how long the transition from fossil fuels to other energy sources will take place globally and until then, where countries will source their oil,” she writes. “Make no mistake there is, thankfully, a transition to renewables taking place; it is just a question of how long.

“For me, I am not convinced of the economic case for TMX. I would also like more certainty about how long these pipelines will be operating during the transition. Yes, we need the existing pipeline today, but what capacity do we need in the future? There are no black and white answers.”

She says a broad variety of Canadians don’t trust the Federal government to own, operate and regulate the project, and says, mistrust can be ‘paralyzing’ to getting anything done.

If it does get approved, Wilson-Raybould says that with the threat of legal challenges and protests, it’s not really clear when oil might actually start flowing through the line.