With a new fairly weak government in B.C. I had a misguided hope that we would have a more open and trusting government than the previous majority government of Christy Clark. Minority governments are weak and have to show more respect to both people that voted for them and people that did not. This does not seem to be the case.
The recent revelation from Environment Minister George Heyman was that Premier John Horgan informed him that the B.C. and Green extreme election promise to kill the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion was not legal. This was in a mandate letter that Horgan gave to Heyman when he was appointed minister of the environment last fall.
What did the NDP do? They simply shifted their attack on Kinder Morgan from an active kill the pipeline to a passive attack on protecting the coast of B.C.
Did they tell the people of British Columbia that the possible chances of delivering on their election promise to kill Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was legally close to zero? No they did not. They continued the politics of deception that have been prevailing in British Columbia for far too long.
I am going to be crucified in the comment section for writing this, so allow a preemptive comment.
The B.C. coast is already under threat of oil tanker traffic. Focus on the positive improvements that the modern oil economy has produced: technology in navigation, improved satellite weather reports for extreme weather, technology in harbour tugboat design and a possible six new coastal spill response stations, if the Kinder Morgan expansion goes to completion.
I fully understand that the world is changing but the immediate stopping of an oil-based economy is not feasible. If the environmental movement wants the support of the community at large they need to put forward a plan that not only focuses on renewables, but a key component in that plan needs to include a tax plan for renewables. We have an extensive tax plan on carbon fuels. Replacing oil and gas means replacing a lot of tax revenue in Ottawa and provincial capitals. Total disruption of the existing economy is just as reckless as ignoring climate change.
The deception of the NDP in hiding the fact that their weak legal position on stopping Kinder Morgan is a huge issue.
Wayne Martineau
Fraser Lake
