The National Post reports in its Wednesday, Jan. 7, edition that for the past decade, federal Liberals blocked Canada from producing the oil and gas needed to replace Venezuelan oil that the U.S. was sanctioning. The Post's guest columnist Pierre Poilievre writes that those sanctions could soon end. Venezuelan oil could soon return to its historic level of 3.5 million barrels per day, up from its current one million. Its heavy crude is very similar to Alberta's oil sands, which means it will directly compete for scarce and specialized U.S. refinery capacity that can handle our bitumen. Each Venezuelan barrel the Americans take could therefore be a barrel less they will need from us. So we need other customers fast. That is why we must immediately move to approve a pipeline to the Pacific Coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney has not clearly stated that he would support such a pipeline. His only commitment, in his memorandum of understanding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, is to declare that such a pipeline "can be referred to the Major Projects Office for consideration of designation under the Building Canada Act." Mr. Poilievre says he doubts the PM is serious about getting a major pipeline project done.