Almost a month ago, Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May pleaded guilty to criminal contempt after protesting at a Kinder Morgan work site.
While a lot of people are saying May shouldn’t be allowed to hold her position any longer, I say the opposite.
Although I do not agree with all of the arguments against the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project, I was happy to see a political leader taking such a stance that she was willing to risk police detainment and criminal charges. It shows a strong sense of passion and vigor to put yourself in that situation.
Sometimes, we need to stand up for what we believe in, and that is what she was doing.
We could go on and on about the pros and cons of the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project, and both sides are inevitably correct: It is bad for the environment and doesn’t fall in line with Canada’s green action goals, but it is good for economy and prosperity of Canada.
May was arrested in March for violating a court injunction that required protesters stay five metres away from the Trans Mountain terminal in Burnaby.
She didn’t get any sympathy from the courts when she pleaded guilty, and had a few extra fines tacked on because of her political involvement.
As a former lawyer, there’s no way May wasn’t expecting that.
But, I truly believe the way the entire scene played out, right from her first steps at the protests was a bit of a publicity stunt she had hoped would help gather interest and support for the protesters who have worked tirelessly fighting the pipeline expansion.
That’s not a bad thing. Even if May says she was unaware that there would be media at the protest and that she acted solely on her beliefs, she is a public figure, and is highly regarded by many.
Since then, the federal government moved forward to buy the pipeline and all of Kinder Morgan’s core Canadian assets for $4.5 billion.
If the pipeline expansion is going to happen, it might as well be federally owned. Such an important resource to Canada’s economy should fall under the federal government’s responsibility.
Thanks for standing up for what you believe in, Elizabeth May. Even if it’s all going down the drain, so to speak. Her actions have proven monumental to supporters and protesters.
