Regarding the Northern Gateway Pipeline: Dick Harris and the Conservative party are making false -- and in Harris's case insulting -- claims.
Dick asserts that opponents to the project are "blind and stupid" in not seeing the economic benefit of opening the tar sands to Asian markets, a claim proponents of the pipeline have been unable to expand on.
Typical applications to the National Energy Board include shipping agreements already in place to demonstrate market demand. Such agreements are missing from Enbridge's application.
Also missing is an analysis of the capacity of refineries in Asia and elsewhere to handle the refining of Alberta Bitumen, an oil that is inferior to crude and requires that refineries be specially equipped for its processing. There has been no attempt to differentiate between markets for bitumen and for crude oil.
Regarding the economic effect in B.C., I am disturbed by the sacrifice Harris and other political proponents of the pipeline are willing to make of my province. The pipeline will offer no more than 45 to 50 long-term jobs, about as many employees as can be found working at Safeway.
During the construction period, Enbridge has its own employees trained in pipeline construction. They project only about 15 per cent of construction jobs will go to northerners and these labourers will be thrust into uncertainty with demand for labour fluctuating monthly, all according to Enbridge projections.
At stake are 56,000 or more jobs in economies which are reliant on a healthy coastline. Economies that, according to the BC government, contribute at minimum $2.2 billion annually to our economy.
Enbridge claims a revenue to BC of $2.6 billion over 30 years, or about $90 per BC resident.
It isn't rocket science and I am not stupid nor blind to the facts, Dick Harris. Perhaps you should enroll yourself in an economics class, bring yourself up to speed.
Candis Davis
Prince George
