MP Nina Grewal Friday hosted federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver as part of her continuing series of roundtable meetings with federal cabinet ministers. The meeting provided community stakeholders the opportunity to meet with Minister Oliver and discuss the importance of diversifying Canada’s energy markets and promoting responsible resource development.
“I am delighted to be in Surrey to discuss the importance of Canada’s natural resource sector and our ability to be a reliable supplier of resources to the Asia- Pacific market,” said theHonourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources. “There is great a complementarity between Canada’s strategic need to diversify its energy markets and India’s need to diversify its sources of supply.”
MP Grewal took the occasion to highlight the importance BC will play in the provision of our natural resources to expanding markets in India and the broader Asia-Pacific region. “British Columbia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources,” said MP Grewal. “Forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and mining provide thousands of jobs to British Columbians, facilitate Canada’s global trade, and are a vital component to our provincial identity. Natural resources already directly and indirectly account for 1.8 million jobs and over 18 percent of the Canadian economy and with global demand expected to increase by 35 percent so will this segment of our economy.”
Canada is especially well positioned to help India meet its energy needs. The importance of strengthening our energy relationship with India is underscored by Canada’s vast reserves of natural gas and its capacity to become a major exporter of liquefied natural gas. Minister Oliver reinforced Canada’s role as a responsible energy supplier and advanced opportunities to diversify natural resource exports to India. Over the next decade, hundreds of major resource projects worth some $650 billion could begin in Canada.
“Minister Oliver discussed our shared imperative of supporting Canadian jobs, energy security, and standard of living through meeting the demand for Canadian natural resources at home and abroad, he highlighted milestones in our cooperative efforts toreach new markets and enhance Canada’s exemplary record of environmental stewardship. Our province is well placed to benefit from our government’s global trade development and diversification initiatives. There is the potential for millions of new Canadian jobs, including many thousands here in BC. Trade in natural resources will help to lay a foundation for long term prosperity for BC and for all of Canada,” concluded Ms. Grewal.
