The federal government has announced changes to the way they approve pipelines, including two that are currently underway. Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr announced yesterday afternoon they'd be doing more assessments of the pipelines' upstream greenhouse gas emissions, and conducting additional consultations with communities near the projects. One of those projects is the Energy East Pipeline, which would see the conversion of a natural gas pipeline to accommodate crude oil. That project's expected to be extended six months for the National Energy Board's process, and an additional three months for the government to make a decision, with a final decision now not expected until 2018.

Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen, who's also the Conservative critic for Natural Resources, says she's concerned about these new measures, describing them as just another layer of regulations pipeline projects will need to go through. She says it appears many of these changes do little more than undo the work of the previous government, which aimed to reduce red tape for pipeline approvals.

"We have confidence in the National Energy Board. Those are scientists, experts, and there's a process in place to consult, and provinces have jurisdiction. What we aimed to do was reduce duplication."

Delays aren't the only aspect of the plan causing concerns for Bergen. She feels these new regulations pave the way for more government interference on these projects, which she emphasizes aren't funded with taxpayer dollars.

"We are concerned about the political interference that the Liberals are adding on, as well as giving themselves permission to drag these out, drag them out another five years, ten years. In that time, these companies that are willing to invest and build pipelines, they're going other places."

Bergen's also concerned the opposition MPs were not given the information until well after it was sent out to media. She says they're still working to catch up on exactly what the government's plans entail, adding there are far too many unanswered questions.

"What will they consider acceptable GHGs (Greenhouse gases)? Will they look at the economic impact? Will that be able to outweigh the GHGs? We don't know, and if you think we're uncertain, imagine how it is for these proponents of the applications that have already invested millions, and in some cases close to a billion dollars."

She describes the new processes as unfair, adding they don't provide the "glimmer of hope" needed in Alberta, as workers struggle with the dropping oil prices.