If we use our oil rather than imports, then we're not exporting that oil like we otherwise would, and it wouldn't change our trade balance at all -- it would come out even.  Also, the refineries in Quebec and NB are not equipped to refine large amounts of Alberta's heavy oil, and Quebec already has the line 9 pipelines to get oil from western Canada.  And as for creating new jobs, the number of people working in a refinery doesn't change just because they switch from using oil imported from the US to oil piped from Saskatchewan.

The main purpose of Energy East is to provide new export capacity for western oil.  It would create jobs at the export terminal in New Brunswick and give Irving more options for oil stock.  What I don't understand is why Transcanada doesn't make their arguments based on these true facts rather than spinning  tales that easterners know are false.  It just makes people feel they are being conned, and that's no way to build public support.