“It’s Christmas every day,” says Rich Coleman, reflecting on how he feels as a key player in a re-elected government, one which was given a strong mandate by voters in May.
And if his hard work pays off, Santa Claus will be paying more visits to B.C. homes than he has for quite some time. Coleman, the minister responsible for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development, has been criss-crossing the globe selling B.C. as the most logical place to supply natural gas to hungry Asian markets. And he is getting a substantial amount of interest.
I’ve known Coleman long enough to know that he isn’t like most politicians, who will willingly promise the moon to get elected and conveniently forget most of those promises afterwards.
He is in politics to get things done. That’s been his track record in the community — it was his involvement that was key in the Langley Events Centre being built. It’s also been his track record in numerous cabinet positions, from solicitor-general to forests to energy and mines, and over all that time, as the minister of housing.
Without him, Langley would not have a homeless shelter that is actually making a difference. Nor would many rundown hotels in Vancouver’s downtown eastside be placed under government ownership, renovated and now doing more to provide decent low-cost housing than they used to.
He was the point man behind the Liberals’ surprising (but not to him) victory in May. He was key in raising funds, was campaign manager and was a true believer from the moment Christy Clark became premier. And he said so consistently, with even some members of his own family doubting him.
Clark rewarded him by making him deputy premier and the key government player in bringing the promise of LNG to fruition. And it’s closer to reality than ever, although some significant hurdles remain.
Coleman told his annual fundraising dinner Wednesday that the players who are interested in building LNG plants on B.C.’s north coast have to get to the point where they make a “final investment decision.”
In the interim, they are spending billions in planning and, in some cases, site preparation. Those doing the spending include Chevron and its partners, Shell and Petronas, owned by the Malaysian government.
He optimistically hopes for five large plants on the north coast, and another three smaller plants on old industrial sites in southern B.C. The total investment in the large plants would be $9 to $11 billion per plant, and if it all comes to fruition, there could be 100,000 jobs created.
In addition to all the extra tax revenue from those jobs, there would be gas royalties, a fair return to both government and the proponent from the plants, and even improved carbon emissions worldwide. Major contracts with Chinese companies could lead to less reliance on coal-fired electric power plants in that country. Those plants are far and away the worst carbon emitters on the planet.
If the LNG plants come to fruition, or even if only some plants are built, B.C. could be in line to completely retire its long-term debt and start building a prosperity fund like Alberta’s heritage find.
With people like Coleman in charge, that fund would not be raided spuriously, as has happened too often in Alberta, and there will indeed be a bright future for the coming generations in B.C.
No wonder he feels like Santa Claus every day.
