The Energy East project entered tumultuous territory this year with protests and the entire hearing panel for the National Energy Board stepping down after the reveal of what was nicknamed the Charest Affair.
Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long has championed the pipeline project and says he still believes it will be approved, but admits he wasn’t immune to the problems that followed Energy East.
Long says there was a period of time a month or two ago where he felt very optimistic and hopeful, but admits deep down it was discouraging to see the momentum of the project slowed down by the NEB process stopping and a large number of protests happening.
He says that he thinks Prime Minister Trudeau’s approval of two western pipelines, Trans Mountain and Line 3, is a good sign.