North Vancouver residents hoping to learn where the parties stand on Kinder Morgan’s proposed new oil pipeline were probably left with little clarity after the Maclean’s leaders debate Thursday.
Only Green Party leader Elizabeth May declared outright opposition to Kinder Morgan’s plan, along with any other pipeline projects. She needled NDP leader Thomas Mulcair for his stance.
Mulcair responded that he stood for a “clear, thorough, credible environmental assessment process,” something he accused the prime minister of betraying.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper asserted his government is “obviously in favour of diversification of our exports” but added it’s not up to the federal government to build pipelines — only establish an environmental assessment process.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau didn’t weigh in on the pipeline specifically, but said Harper hadn’t “convinced communities of the rightness” of the pipelines he supports, and accused him of failing to work with First Nations.
The local candidates out door knocking in hopes of representing Burnaby North-Seymour, however, have to be far more specific when the question comes up. It will be up to the next government to determine whether the project goes ahead if the National Energy Board recommends it.
Green Party candidate Lynne Quarmby said she is “unambiguously opposed to any and all new fossil fuel infrastructure for transporting bitumen.”
Quarmby was among 100 Canadian scientists who signed a letter written to Parliament in June calling for a moratorium on oilsands expansion.
“I am opposed to any expansion of the oil sands and part and parcel with expansion of the oil sands are these pipeline/tanker projects. Any new infrastructure for transporting diluted bitumen to tidewater or for export in any direction is inconsistent with avoiding dangerous levels of climate change,” she said.
The NDP’s Carol Baird Ellan said the entire process, including Kinder Morgan’s application, needs to be redone thanks to the Conservative’s “gutting of the National Energy Board’s assessment process, the environmental protections, and the fact they haven’t been asked to articulate their safety plan.”
“I’m very concerned about the addition of 13 tanks on Burnaby Mountain that haven’t really been looked at. The deputy fire chief has spoken out about the danger that poses,” she said. “It’s so deeply flawed, we need to start from scratch. Rebuild the assessment process and not approve any project that can’t withstand a rigorous assessment…”
Liberal challenger Terry Beech also said the NEB process needs to be redone but said there are probably some aspects of the current application that could be salvaged.
“I know there’s a lot of information that can probably be repurposed but there’s certainly a feeling that the community has many valid concerns that have not been addressed. The scope of the current process is too small in our opinion…,” he said.
“We promise that we’re going to redo or revise the NEB process in order to make it fair, scientific and objective and, at the end of the day, it’s going to be the requirement of any proponent of any pipeline, not just Kinder Morgan, to make sure they get community support and the support of partner First Nation communities,” he said.
Conservative candidate Mike Little said his position hasn’t changed since he was on District of North Vancouver council.
Little said he could not support the project until it’s better understood whether diluted bitumen will sink should there be a spill on Burrard Inlet, and whether we have the technology to clean a spill up.
“I don’t take a position on stuff that’s before the review process at the National Energy Board. I’m optimistic that what comes out of that process will be a very full list of conditions that will improve the current proposal,” he said.
Editor's note: This is an updated version of the original story, which had misquoted Little.
