In Premier Christy Clark’s mind there is a difference between starting from no and working towards yes when it comes to controversial, large-scale pipeline projects.
Last week, during a stop in Sicamous, the premier took a swipe at BC NDP leader Adrian Dix and his “Kinder surprise,” referring to Dix’s Earth Day announcement that he didn’t want to see Vancouver become a “major oil export port,” referring to Kinder Morgan’s twinning of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline from Edmonton to the Lower Mainland. This comment was later followed with the caveat that the BC NDP is still waiting to see the yet-to-be submitted application for the proposal, reflecting an earlier statement by Dix that he wouldn’t pre-judge the pipeline before plans are submitted for federal environmental review.
“The NDP want to delay, they want to review, a chance to play out at being reasonable, when they secretly know their answer to economic development is always going to be ‘no,’” claimed Clark.
As for Clark’s position, it would be the same as it is for another controversial pipeline project, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway – that “every proposal for the expansion of heavy oil movement” through B.C. must meet five conditions that include: successful completion of a federal environmental review process; world-leading marine and land oil response and prevention recovery systems; giving First Nations an opportunity to benefit; B.C. receiving economic benefits proportionate to the risk borne by the province.
Clark said the same conditions would apply to David Black’s proposed bitumen refinery project in Kitimat.
“I am not going to back down on this…,” said Clark. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to succeed. But the difference between me and Adrian Dix is I believe in trying to get to yes with economic development, and he believes in starting from no.”
Shuswap NDP candidate Steve Gunner says Clark and the BC Liberals are doing their best to paint the BC NDP as being against everything, including Northern Gateway.
“A project of that magnitude has to have a social contract in order to be allowed to go through. In other words, the people who are affected by it have to buy in, and it’s a long process, it’s not something that can be put through in a year,” says Gunner, noting the NDP would pull out of the Environmental Assessment Equivalency Agreement with the federal government and create a “made-in-B.C.” act to guide the process of provincial assessment and consultation for such projects.
So with the Liberals, we have five fairly basic conditions, and a review process that do not guarantee a yes, but certainly don’t say no. And with the NDP, projects would not proceed without going through an assessment process set out by the province and its people. Again, neither a yes or no.
Oh, except maybe Kinder Morgan’s, on which Dix had the audacity during an election to take a position.
