Morneau to give speech in Calgary ahead of Kinder Morgan deadline

Finance Minister Bill Morneau is headed west next week with plans to give a speech to a Calgary business audience a day ahead of a deadline set by Kinder Morgan for its controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, which announced the event set for May 30, says the speech will focus on securing Canada's economic future.

• Moody's warns Trans Mountain failure would be major blow to Alberta economy

Kinder Morgan suspended all non-essential construction on the Trans Mountain project in April, citing obstruction by B.C. that put the viability of the pipeline in question.

The company has set a May 31 deadline for getting assurances it can proceed without delays on the controversial project.

Morneau said last week the federal government is willing to cover cost overruns caused by political uncertainty on the pipeline project.

However, the minister also said if Kinder Morgan were to walk away from the pipeline, there are other investors willing to step in.