Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs is challenging the federal government over stalled natural resource projects and the closure of a long-standing agricultural research centre she says will hurt farmers across Alberta.

Stubbs, who serves as Conservative Shadow Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, questioned the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources earlier this month in the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, focusing on LNG approvals, regulatory delays and investor uncertainty.

LNG Approvals Under Fire

Stubbs compared Canada’s LNG approval record to that of the United States, pointing to what she described as a decade of missed opportunity.

“Since 2015, as you know, the current federal government approved only 4 of 18 Canadian LNG proposals. Only the one that Conservatives approved—LNG Canada 1 and also 2 at the same time—actually operates, while the U.S. approved 26. With 16 building and operating, the U.S., of course, is the world’s lead exporter now … How can Liberals claim to want Canada to be an energy superpower when those are actually the facts on Canadian LNG?”

She also pressed the Minister for clearer definitions around projects deemed to be in the “national interest.”

“One concern I have is that your government does say projects in the national interest will be approved. I asked your government to define it in the debates on Bill C-5, and also again in the fall, your government refused both times. So how can proponents or investors in LNG and all other sectors know what will make the cut with your government, since they need clarity and certainty, and you yourself have made that point very compellingly?”

Stubbs further raised concerns about consultation requirements and potential legal challenges.

“In the debates on Bill C-5, I raised the point that judicial decisions, of course, say the decision makers must be at the table with a two-way dynamic with indigenous communities. I proposed amendments to safeguard this issue in Bill C-5. The Liberals defeated my amendment. I fear that decisions that are going to come out of Bill C-5 will be challenged in court, precisely because the Crown is not taking on its duty to consult to get these projects done in a good way.”

She also pointed to what she described as a growing backlog.

“My question is, since 72 projects are in limbo right now with only 11 referrals and no clear path to construction in sight, when will those laws and regs that are listed in Bill C-5, that you’ve designed to do a workaround, be fixed for everyone, all proponents in all sectors, to attract investment and jobs to Canada and give confidence in Canada as a place to invest and build?”

Lacombe Research Centre Closure

Stubbs also criticized the closure of the 119-year-old Lacombe Research and Development Centre, which has supported Lakeland College’s pulse and special crops research program.

“Like they do almost everything related to farming and the lives and livelihoods of Canadian farm families, rural residents and agribusinesses, the Liberals did it without meaningful consultation with agricultural producers, and without proper assessment of the impact on Alberta’s agricultural sector as a whole … This unilateral Liberal edict harms Canada’s future food production and food security for every single Canadian. It makes Canada even less productive and less competitive globally, just like these Liberals have managed to do in almost every other single way in our country.”

The centre has long been connected to agricultural innovation and research that supports producers across Alberta.

Marking Four Years Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

On February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Stubbs marked the occasion by expressing solidarity with Ukrainian Canadians.

“For these four long years, Ukrainians have shown what resilience, courage, and grit are really all about as they defend their borders and fight for their freedom against what must seem like the ‘apparently overwhelming might of the enemy’ … As the Member of Parliament for Lakeland, home to the highest percentage of Ukrainian Canadians per capita of all 343 federal ridings, it’s my duty to stand with Canada’s Ukrainian community and with Ukrainians all around the world today and every single day.”

Conservative Motions

Stubbs also voted in favour of several Conservative motions, including calls to scrap subsidies on foreign-made vehicles, remove GST on Canadian-made vehicles, strengthen sentencing laws for repeat offenders and halt the Interim Federal Health Program.

She says she will continue pressing the government on energy policy, project approvals and agricultural issues affecting Lakeland families and businesses.