Burnaby North-Seymour constituents will have to wait a little while longer to hear where their MP stands on the recent Kinder Morgan pipeline decision.
Liberal MP Terry Beech said he’s currently working on a “more substantive statement” including a YouTube video explaining his thoughts on the pipeline approval.
“I spent a lot of time thinking and working on this issue and I have a responsibility to this constituency to make sure that I put their best interests first, and part of that is going to be making sure that sharing how I feel about this matter is done with reflection,” he said prior to hosting an open house at his constituency office Dec. 3. “Right now, I’m totally focused on having conversations with constituents so that it can help inform my own decision on that.”
On Nov. 29, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government’s approval of the proposed $6.8-billion Trans Mountain expansion project, which will triple the Edmonton-to-Burnaby pipeline’s capacity from 300,000 barrels a day to 890,000 barrels a day. Shortly after, Beech told media that he was reserving comment until he fully reviewed the information. He has been publicly silent since then.
Beech has been in a tough position because his riding straddles both sides of the Burrard Inlet where tanker traffic is expected to increase nearly seven-fold.
During a presentation to the Trans Mountain ministerial panel, Beech shared how his constituents stood opposed to the project.
On Saturday, Beech admitted he didn’t realize how “emotionally exhausting” the Kinder Morgan decision would be.
“As an MP, you wear three hats, you have to represent your personal values, you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day, you have to represent your constituency values, you have to fight for your local community and then you have to look at the national interest. I try to balance that as best as I can and I will continue to try,” he said.
At least a couple of those who attended his open house said they felt some sympathy for Beech although they disagreed with the pipeline decision.
Kai Nagata, spokesman for the Dogwood Initiative which campaigned against the pipeline, said Beech appeared “shell shocked” by the decision at the open house. “I think it hit him hard,” he said. Nagata said he doesn’t blame Beech for the decision because he thinks the MP did all he could to lobby caucus against the approval.
“There’s no doubt as to his sincerity and his investment in the issue,” said Nagata. “I know how hard he worked on the report he took to the ministerial panel. The (calculation) from the prime minister’s office was to throw him under the bus. ... He did everything he could.”
Rene Dansereau, who also attended the open house, had similar thoughts. “Most of us were saying we were very upset with the government. They’ve badly misjudged this particular issue,” he said. But Dansereau said he doesn’t blame Beech. “I got the impression he was a genuine person who was actually interested in what we had to say.”
A steady flow of people came through the doors during the daylong open house.
Burnaby resident Glenn Vockeroth stopped by to tell Beech he was “more than disappointed” with the announcement.
Burnaby Mountain resident Carol Clarke said her community never gave consent.
Clarke’s husband John, said he feels “absolutely betrayed” and that Beech has been “hung out to dry” by his party.
“His best move would be to make a statement and set out as an Independent. That way he has some possibility of being re-elected,” he added.
John Clarke noted when the ministerial panel in charge of reviewing the Kinder Morgan file came out with its report in November, he was feeling “fairly positive” about a no decision. “It’s clear to me they (the cabinet) probably read it, looked at it, (it) didn’t turn out the way they thought it would, and simply said ‘to hell with the truth,’” he said.
Not all open house attendees were naysayers. Doug Payette dropped in to tell Beech he’s in favour of the project and its economic opportunities.
“I believe it is way safer than rail movement,” he said. “I believe in the built-in safety of the double-hull tankers and all those things; they’re going to do the best they can, and I think they’re going to be certainly watched, so they’re going to have to go to the highest standards.”
