Editor:
Some constituents have recently expressed concerns about the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. The national conversation about large-scale energy projects is broader than the proposed project and must anticipate other projects that need to be considered in the near future, including Kinder Morgan, LNG projects and others. The decisions we Canadians make now will shape Canada for generations.
During an extensive review process of the project, the independent joint review panel heard from over 1,450 participants in 21 different communities and reviewed over 175,000 pages of evidence, concluding the project would be in the “Canadian public interest,” provided it met 209 conditions. This includes an emergency preparedness and response plan that “must demonstrate Northern Gateway’s ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the potential effects of emergencies of any type.” Our government can now accept the panel’s recommendations, direct the panel to reconsider its recommendations or turn down the proposal.
No project will be approved unless it is safe for Canadians and for the environment. For our Conservative government’s record, one need look no further than the recent decision regarding the ambitious Taseko Mine Project in northern B.C., which this government did not allow to proceed after a rigorous, science-based environmental review concluded the project would result in significant adverse environmental effects that could not be mitigated.
I would support an energy project that delivers jobs and opens markets for Canadian energy exports and adheres to stringent conditions that reflect the kind of principles expressed above. Looking to the expertise of the joint review panel on the matter, our government will seek a resolution that is in the overall best interest of our country.
John Weston, MP, West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country
