Oilpatch CEO says Trudeau needs to give real pipeline support, ‘not just words’

CALGARY — An oil company CEO is harshly criticizing Justin Trudeau as the prime minister tours the oilsands region of northeastern Alberta today.

Athabasca Oil CEO Rob Broen says if he met Trudeau, he would tell him the industry needs real leadership on oil export pipelines, “not just words.”

Trudeau has been telling audiences in B.C. and Alberta that he supports both the environment and pipeline projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Edmonton to the Vancouver area.

But Broen says Trudeau should sit down with officials from Kinder Morgan Canada, the company building the much-delayed Trans Mountain project, to find out what obstacles it is facing and then take action to remove those barriers.

In a speech to investors at his company’s annual general meeting in Calgary, Broen said the government shouldn’t have launched a revamp of the National Energy Board, adding he doesn’t understand what was wrong with the regulator as it was.

He says he disagrees with the prime minister that Alberta’s adoption of a carbon tax last year makes it easier to push through pipeline construction, pointing out no new pipeline capacity has resulted as yet.

“I would tell him (Trudeau) he has to show leadership on the pipeline file. And it’s not just words,” said Broen.

“He needs to back up Kinder Morgan, the pipeline he’s approved, and he needs to see it through to construction and make sure we can put shovels in the ground and get it built for the benefit of all Canadians.”

Companies in this article. (TSX:KML)