Opinion: For the prosperity of Canada, we need to put energy on the ballot

We have what so many nations wish for – rich, abundant natural resources. It is the one thing that sets apart those in countries suffering energy poverty, and the lifestyle and health of the people in nations who enjoy energy prosperity.

A prosperous energy sector means prosperity for all Canadians. We use energy to cook our food, heat our homes, keep the lights on in schools, power our hospitals, and to drive our kids to activities. And the revenue to governments from resource development pays for roads to be built, and health care, education and social programs to be funded. Energy touches every corner of our lives. But for far too long, energy has been viewed as a Western issue, not a Canadian one.

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We are at a crossroads where it isn’t even about energy prosperity; it is now about energy security. It is about whether we can get energy across the country to Canadians who need it. It is about jobs, economic growth, and global leadership. It is about Canada stepping up to provide the world with reliable, responsible, and affordable energy.

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A trade war is waging that puts Canadian jobs at risk. Canada is inextricably tied to the U.S., exposing us to the constant changes from Washington that are completely out of our control. Our industry is up to the task of helping Canada be less reliant on our one major trading partner. We have what Canada and the world needs: responsibly developed, abundant Canadian energy.

Since the trade war began, we have heard loud and clear that Canadians want us to build pipelines, to replace foreign energy with our own Canadian-produced energy, and to export what we don’t need, prospering from other countries purchasing our products – while achieving another collective Canadian goal: helping high-emitting nations decrease their carbon footprint, by displacing high-carbon fuels with our cleaner-burning energy.

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Developing our resources and building the infrastructure to get it to our ports for export means more Canadian jobs, more revenue to the Canadian economy, a lower global carbon footprint, more Indigenous participation in our national economy, and prosperous communities from coast to coast to coast.

But to do all this, we need a federal government to listen to Canadians and prioritize building Canada. We need policies that reflect the reality of energy in this country – policies that are affordable, sustainable, and forward-looking. Policies that support Indigenous partnerships, innovation, and economic opportunity. Policies that recognize the value of Canadian energy – responsibly produced, globally respected, and urgently needed.

And we need the federal government to be thoughtful when managing our trade relationship with the United States. Enserva has cautioned the federal government that tariffs on inputs to energy production, such as frac sand, oilfield chemicals, steel, precision-machined parts, electronic sensors, and industrial equipment, will punish Canadians more than Americans.

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Much of our oil and gas production requires sand for pressure pumping. Canada imports about 6 million tonnes of sand annually from the U.S. because there is no viable domestic alternative at the levels that we need. The Government of Canada’s retaliatory tariff measure will add $240 million a year in additional costs on frac sand alone, significantly impacting drilling operations, creating instability in Canada’s oil and gas sector, and increasing energy costs.

Canada has challenges being competitive in a global market, and counter-tariffs have weakened us further, meaning less will be invested and built here. It could result in thousands of job losses and will drive up the cost of living at a time when we are in an affordability crisis.

On behalf of our members, Enserva calls on Ottawa to put Canadians first and immediately remove tariffs on all inputs into energy production.

To lessen the detrimental impact tariffs and counter-tariffs will have on Canadians, Ottawa needs to strengthen its own hand. The federal government should commit now to repealing policies that impede investment and energy development and immediately expedite approvals of major energy infrastructure that will expand our access to tidewater.

If we want a future where Canada can thrive, then energy must be part of the national conversation. Let’s make sure that when Canadians head to the ballot box, they are thinking about the energy that powers their lives.

For the prosperity of all Canadians, we need to put energy on the ballot.

Gurpreet Lail is the president and CEO of Enserva, the industry association that represents the energy services, supply, and manufacturing sector in Canada.

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