Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given approval to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to Burnaby and the Line 3 replacement project from Alberta to Wisconsin.
Courtenay – Alberni MP, New Democrat Gord Johns says the Prime Minister has broken the trust of Canadian voters. “The liberal Government has not achieved the social license to move forward with this project,” states Johns. “Even the governments appointed panel admits that this project faces strong opposition from first nations communities and the recent Bella Bella oil spill demonstrates that the BC coast is not ready for a seven fold increase in tanker traffic. I think that the Prime Minister clearly underestimates the will of coastal British Columbians. He is putting our jobs and ecosystems at risk by approving this project.”
Premier Christy Clark says BC won’t endorse the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion until the 5 conditions laid out by the province have been met by Ottawa. Clark says that includes ensuring that BC gets it’s fair share of economic benefits and making sure there’s an adequate oil spill response plan in place. “For the past 4.5 years, as I said we have stuck to our guns and fought for British Columbians to make sure that our interests and environment are protected,” states Clark. “We’ve said that these conditions are a pass to get to yes from any project from Alberta that’s proposed and that will move through BC. And as I have said we have set these conditions out to make sure that British Columbians interests come first.” Clark says once all five conditions have been met, the province will support the expansion project.