N.B. government pushes critical minerals, opposition says natural gas and pipelines should be included

The New Brunswick government is focusing on developing natural resources amid the U.S. trade war.

The New Brunswick government says it will formalize a strategy for developing its critical minerals industry, prompted by the U.S. trade war.

Natural Resources Minister John Herron says a comprehensive framework should be ready within the next year, including consultations with First Nations and host communities.

“The regulatory regime we want to develop is one that is going to be rigorous, but not onerous,” says Herron. “At the same time, it’s going to be timely and predictable.”

Out of Canada’s list of 32 critical minerals and metals, New Brunswick has 21, including manganese (for the production of batteries and copper), and indium (for the production of solar panels and touch screens).

Herron says North America’s largest supply of undeveloped manganese is near Woodstock, with the continent’s largest supply of undeveloped indium within Charlotte County.

Green Party Leader David Coon says formalizing a framework for critical minerals will ensure First Nations and host communities are involved with any regulatory process.

“As well as ensure that New Brunswick doesn’t find itself financially on the hook for mines that are abandoned by companies, as has happened in the past,” says Coon.

The provincial government didn’t have a dollar figure on Wednesday for how much the province’s critical minerals industry may be worth. In addition to the trade war, Herron says the development of a framework for critical minerals would address worldwide demand.

“We’re going to try to meet that moment, and meet that demand,” says Herron.

The official Opposition says it supports the government’s plans of creating a critical mineral strategy but argues it doesn’t go far enough.

Progressive Conservative MLA Kris Austin says the province should also take action to formalize support for natural gas exploration, and an Energy-East type pipeline delivering oil and gas from Alberta.

“You got to stop tip-toeing around these issues,” says Austin, who will introduce an opposition motion next week calling to end the province’s moratorium on natural gas exploration.

On pipelines, recent polls suggest strong support for reviving Energy East in the face of Trump’s tariffs, with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston publicly asking Quebec to change its past stance opposing pipelines.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says a west-to-east pipeline would benefit New Brunswickers, but says the federal government needs to take a leadership role on any movement.

“We do not want to put all the time and energy that New Brunswick put into this before, only to see it fail again in the face of provincial and federal obstructions,” says Holt.

The company formerly known as TransCanada cancelled Energy East in 2017, citing “substantial uncertainty” and “changed circumstances.”

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