Federal energy minister says provincial, territorial partners united in ‘Canada strong’ approach to trade war

Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson was in Charlottetown to hear about initiatives amid the ongoing trade war.

Canada’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister was in Charlottetown Thursday, hearing about initiatives with potential for federal partnership.

Tim Hodgson said what he was hearing during his visit to the city made him proud as a Canadian.

“All of the ministers are interested in the same thing, which is pulling together to make Canada stronger,” Hodgson said. “To make Canada more resilient during this challenging period.”

Wednesday’s 50 per cent copper tariff announcement – which Donald Trump said would take effect Aug. 1 – was an example of the obstacles Canadians face, Hodgson said.

“These types of arbitrary, unjust, illegal actions by other countries against Canada are really challenging Canadians,” he said.

The minister said the country has to retool its economy to adapt to a new world where every sector is vulnerable. He said he and his partners in the provinces agreed the solution was to meet the problem unified and Canada strong.

“We want to bring the 13 economies into one economy.”

The Atlantic provinces should see big affordability benefits through cooperation, said Hodgson.

The minister said they were also discussing building new projects.

“We can’t control what our friends south of the border do,” Hodson said. “Projects of national interest will buttress the country against external instability.”

Hodgson said the Atlantic premiers are also discussing the Eastern Energy Project and how it will strengthen ties between the four provinces. He said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is bullish about offshore wind but there are several projects that include different Atlantic provinces and, in at least one case, Quebec. He said all of them are opportunities for high-paying, clean jobs.

The minister said infrastructure projects brought forth to connect Atlantic Canada to the west for energy transmission or gas transport will be reviewed if they are approved by the jurisdictions they pass through.

“I think today the costs associated with that pipeline would be very significant,” Hodgson said. “I’m not aware of a private sector proponent who is advocating for that today. If that came forward, we would certainly look at it against the criteria.”

Hodgson said the federal government is committed to doing things Canada has never done in its history to win a trade war that’s been imposed on the country.

“We’re going to need to do things that we haven’t done at this speed since probably World War Two.”

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