The Editor,
Re. “PM approves Kinder Morgan pipeline, rejects Northern Gateway” (tricitynews.com, Nov. 29) and “McKinnon to gov.: Deny the pipeline” (The Tri-City News, Nov. 18).
What is with this crazy assumption that we need to triple our oil capacity to ship overseas because “we are not going to get off fossil fuels overnight”? To suggest we need to build it to fund transition to cleaner energy sources is an embarrassment to our already heavily criticized nation when it comes to climate change.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lied to Canadians and relied heavily on the National Energy Board review, which he himself described as a rigged and flawed process, not to mention that it happened after environmental assessments had been slaughtered by the Conservatives. There has been no full, fair and science-based review of this project.
I am proud of our Liberal MP Ron McKinnon and NDP MP Fin Donnelly, among many other Liberal and NDP MPs, for speaking up against the pipeline expansion. In my opinion, this should not have been a cabinet vote. Where is the transparency we were promised?
If anyone could stomach listening to Premier Christie Clark’s speech the day after the announcement, it is obvious — or, as politicians like to say, “clear” — that she also gives this project thumbs up. Fortunately, we have an opportunity in May’s provincial election to give her thumbs down.
Did you know that there is no policy in Canada to say that the responsible party in an oil spill has to do anything about the oiled wildlife? This, combined with the disrespect to First Nations, the fact that the number of jobs this will create has been grossly exaggerated by Kinder Morgan and the severe impacts this has on our huge climate crisis is more than enough to reject this proposal, yet according to the PM, there is no risk.
I am glad we have so many wonderful First Nation leaders and a wonderful population of people who will not let this get built. As Naomi Klein stated: Two new tar sands pipelines, one massive LNG terminal, Site C dam, Arctic seismic blasting — what more could you ask of a global climate leader?
Jane Thomsing,
Port Coquitlam
