How the Canadian taxpayer ended up on the hook for $34-billion to build a pipeline for the oil industry

There’s no reason taxpayers should be subsidizing the oil transportation costs for the profitable fossil fuel industry. With a cost recovery levy and better scrutiny of future taxpayer investments in the energy sector, taxpayers can get the protection we deserve.

Trans Mountain's Westridge Marine Terminal, pictured. The final tally is estimated to be $34.2-billion. While some will blame the government for the cost overruns, the truth is the same private sector managers that would have built this for Kinder Morgan stayed in charge, and costs would have risen regardless of ownership, writes Thomas Gunton.Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Codex

Opinion

BY THOMAS GUNTON

September 28, 2024

The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion finally opened in May of this year, tripling the capacity to ship oil from Alberta to Vancouver. But with the completion comes a large bill for Canadian taxpayers to cover the $34.2-billion costs of the expansion, and the $4.4-billion go...

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