Harper government streamlines review process for major economic projects
By Contributor
The Harper Government today announced, as part of Economic Action Plan 2012, its plan for Responsible Resource Development, which will streamline the review process for major economic projects.
The plan was announced by the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources, at Automatic Coating Limited in Toronto, which produces high-performance liquids and powder coating used on oil and gas pipelines in Canada and other countries.
“The Harper Government’s plan for Responsible Resource Development will create good, skilled, well-paying jobs in cities and communities across Canada, while maintaining the highest possible standards for protecting the environment,” said Minister Oliver.
“It will help prevent the long delays in reviewing major economic projects that kill potential jobs and stall economic growth by putting valuable investment at risk.”
In 2010, the natural resource sectors employed more than 760,000 workers in communities throughout the country.
The mining and energy sectors alone represent 10 percent of the Canadian economy and 40 percent of our exports.
The potential for job creation and economic growth is enormous. In the next 10 years, more than 500 projects representing over $500 billion in new investments are proposed across Canada.
The Government’s plan for Responsible Resource Development has received a broad range of strong support across the country from Canadian business and labour leaders, including as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
Yves Thomas Dorval, President of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), is on record saying, “An important aspect of this budget […] is the simplification of the review process for large-scale natural resource projects.
“While still ensuring that the environment is protected, this review will now have a clearly defined timeline. The Employers’ Council believes that this is a winning formula for Quebec in situations where these reviews are necessary.”
“The Harper Government is focused on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Oliver. “The emerging economies in Asia and around the world provide the potential to create even more jobs and growth, now and for the next generation.”
