MNI BRIEF: Pipeline Dissent At Carney's First Cabinet Meeting

May-14 18:44By: Greg Quinn
Canada+ 2

The first meeting of Mark Carney's new cabinet Wednesday showed division over the Prime Minister's pledge to turn Canada into a conventional and green energy superpower.

Steven Guilbeault, a former Greenpeace activist who Carney reassigned to the heritage portfolio from environment, told reporters there's little need for new pipelines because the recently built TMX isn't at full capacity.

 "Before we start talking about building an entire new pipeline, maybe we should maximize the use of existing infrastructure," he said. "Probably by 2028-2029, demand for oil will peak globally and it will also peak in Canada. So as far as I know, there are no investors right now, there are no companies that are saying that they want to build an east-west pipeline." (See: MNI INTERVIEW: Carney Quebec Gain Boosts Pipeline Odds- Surkes)

Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne also told reporters the government will pass a promised personal tax cut without a budget for the fiscal year that began April 1, and will present a fiscal update in the fall.