Today a positive final investment decision was reached on phase one of LNG Canada’s proposed LNG export facility in Kitimat. My office released the statement below in response to this announcement.

Media Release

Weaver statement on LNG Canada FID
For immediate release
October 1, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, responded to the news that the LNG Canada project has received a positive final investment decision (FID).

“I am deeply disappointed that the NDP minority government’s tax giveaway has resulted in the country’s single biggest source of emissions receiving an FID,” said Weaver.

“Adding such a massive new source of GhGs means that the rest of our economy will have to make even more sacrifices to meet our climate targets. A significant portion of the LNG Canada investment will be spent on a plant manufactured overseas, with steel sourced from other countries. B.C. taxpayers will subsidize its power by paying rates twice as high and taking on the enormous public debt required to build Site C. There may be as little as 100 permanent jobs at LNG Canada. I believe we can create far more jobs in other industries that won’t drastically increase our emissions.

“In opposition, the NDP were outspoken critics of the Liberal’s LNG regime, then rightly noting that it did not amount to a fair value for our resource and that the emissions were too high. Our Caucus was shocked when they turned around and delivered an even larger giveaway once in power. We did everything we could to deter them from making this decision, but we are only three MLAs up against the 84 whose parties support the heavy subsidization of this industry.

“It breaks my heart that the young people of today must watch as politicians who once professed to champion climate action and a hopeful vision for the future instead succumb to the temptation of short-sighted political wins. Young people deserve better and our Party will keep fighting for them.

“Our Caucus has been clear that we do not support the government’s LNG regime. The government does not have our votes to implement this regime and will have to work with the B.C. Liberal MLAs if they want this project to go forward.

“Despite our profound disappointment on this issue, we have been working closely in good faith with the government to develop a Clean Growth Strategy to aggressively reduce emissions and electrify our economy. The B.C. NDP campaigned to implement a plan to meet our targets and reaffirmed that promise in our Confidence and Supply Agreement. We will hold them to account on this. We will have more to say once that plan becomes public later this year.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca<mailto:jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca>

In the 2017 election the BC NDP campaigned on using every tool in the tool box to stop the the Transmountain pipeline project. Earlier this month I noted that the Federal Court of Appeal presented them with a very powerful tool.

Given that the provincial cabinet’s approval of the Transmountain project relied on the same NEB report as the federal approval, and in light of the recent Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling that the report was “impermissibly flawed”, the BC Government has the opportunity to pull out of the Equivalency Agreement and conduct its own, independent environmental assessment.

Today in Question Period I quizzed the Minister of Environment as to whether or not he will initiate a withdrawal from the equivalency agreement. Below I reproduce the video and text of our exchange.

Video of Exchange

Question

A. Weaver: On August 30, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the federal cabinet approval of the Trans Mountain project. The court cited: “The board’s process and finding were so flawed that the Governor-in-Council could not reasonably rely on the board’s report. Second, the government of Canada failed to fulfil the legal duty to consult Indigenous peoples.” In particular, the court noted: “The board unjustifiably defined the scope of the project under review not to include project-related tanker traffic.”

The B.C. NDP campaigned on using every tool in the toolbox to stop the project from going forward. My question to the Minister of Environment is this. In light of the fact that the court ruled that the NEB process was flawed, my question is: will he use his authority to pull out of the equivalency agreement with Ottawa on the environmental assessment of this project for the next 22 weeks?

Answer

Hon. G. Heyman: Thank you to the Leader of the Third Party for the question. I think this is a good opportunity to just take a brief look at history. There was a time when the official opposition, then in government, expressed concern about the impacts of diluted bitumen on our coast, expressed concern about failings that they perceived in the National Energy Board process, but as that process rolled on, the official opposition simply rolled over and accepted the conclusions of the National Energy Board.

But that wasn’t all. First Nations on the coast expressed concern as to their rights, their culture, their traditional economy. Thousands of British Columbians expressed concern about our environment, tens of thousands of jobs that were at risk, and this government stood up with them and expressed the same concerns. And what did the opposition say when we did that? They said that there was a decision, the project was going ahead, and we should simply accept it.

The decision of the Federal Court of Appeal is significant and far-reaching for a number of reasons, but not the least of which is it validated the concerns of First Nations, it validated the concerns of British Columbians about our coast, and it validated the actions of our government in standing up for our coast, and that’s what we will continue to do.

Supplementary Question

A. Weaver: I do recall, when I sat in opposition with my colleagues from the B.C. NDP — at a time when I heard them calling on the government of the day to actually withdraw from the equivalency agreement over the same concerns that I share today.

Our Prime Minister has signaled that the NEB has precisely 22 weeks on which to reassess the available information. That’s over Christmas. Interveners have to have given notice within the next couple of days if they want to participate.

It’s clear to me and those who participated as interveners in the prior assessment that the decision has already been made. How is it possible that the British Columbia government can have faith in a process where the decision is clearly made and where a prime minister has reiterated, time and time again, it will be built?

Again, to the Environment Minister: will he stand up for the interests of British Columbians and give the federal government the required 30 days’ notice to withdraw from the equivalency agreement today?

Answer

Hon. G. Heyman: Again, thank you to the Leader of the Third Party, who raises some very significant points about the process that is underway. The decision of the federal court was complex. It’s far-reaching. We are reviewing it with both internal and external legal advice.

The federal government’s announcement about how they intend to proceed with the NEB now gives us an important context within which to assess our options going forward. We are well aware of the impending deadline. We are preparing our action in response to that deadline. But more importantly, we are preparing a range of options that are thorough, they’re well considered…. But I can assure the Leader of the Third Party this: we will defend our environment. We will defend our coast. And we will defend the tens of thousands of British Columbian jobs that depend on it.

Today the BC government announced that it was injecting another $10 million into the Clean Energy Vehicle Program (CEVP). The program has been so successful, that it was in danger of running out of funds later this month. As noted in our media release (reproduced below) I am very pleased that the program received the additional funding.

This file is one on which I have spent a good deal of time. Ensuring the stability of this flagship program was essential in advance of the upcoming announcement of British Columbia’s clean growth strategy later this fall.

Media Release

Weaver welcomes additional funding for electric vehicles
For immediate release
September 24, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, praised the BC government’s efforts to find more funding to support vehicle adoption. Weaver says the higher-than-forecasted demand shows that British Columbians are on board with the transition to the low-carbon economy.

“British Columbians clearly want electric vehicles and I am pleased the government has found more funding to support their choices,” said Weaver.

“Over the past several months, we heard concerns from British Columbians that this funding was running out. We communicated these concerns to government and I am delighted that they acted quickly and decisively on this essential priority.

Due to higher-than-expected demand for EVs, the government added an additional $10 million to support the adoption of EVs, hybrids and fuel cell vehicles while it looks for more stable funding.

“As with any new technology, the cost of research and development is baked into the price of electric vehicles, driving up prices,” Weaver continued. “Transportation makes up 40% of B.C.’s emissions. We should ensure that stable, long-term funding is available to help support British Columbians to make the shift towards zero-emission vehicles.

“Our office has been working closely with the government to develop the Clean Growth Strategy that will position B.C. to be a leader in the low-carbon economy while enabling us to meet our targets. It will be essential that this plan be backed up with adequate funding and implementation. As the New Zealand Productivity Commission found last month, early action is almost always a winning economic strategy, even if other jurisdictions are slow to act. B.C. has all the strategic advantages we need to seize the economic opportunities arising as the world transitions to low-carbon economy, and the demand for EVs shows that British Columbians are on board. I look forward to making this vision a reality.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

Today the Federal government announced its path forward on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. In response, my office issued the media release reproduced below.

Media Release

Weaver: Terms of new environmental review of Trans Mountain a concern
For immediate release
September 21, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green party, is raising concerns about the federal government’s approach to reviewing the Trans Mountain pipeline project. Earlier this month, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the federal government’s approval due to the flawed NEB process.

“This process must be clear from political control and therefore needs to be free from a politically-imposed timeline,” said Weaver.

“Any process that is about getting to ‘yes’ will inevitably fail to protect the public interest. Environmental assessments must be objective and evidence-based. And meaningful consultation with Indigenous people must ensure they are approached as partners, not as barriers to be overcome on the way to a predetermined approval.

“The federal approval of this project was always political. The Prime Minister campaigned to subject all new projects to a revised NEB process, yet pushed Trans Mountain through the old broken one. Meanwhile, additional conditions were imposed on Energy East to ensure the project was assessed through the critical lense of climate change. Why would those same considerations not matter in the case of a pipeline through B.C.? There is no reason for B.C. to shoulder such significant risk simply to fulfill political agendas.

“Both colleague Adam Olsen and I were interveners in the original NEB hearings, focusing on the consequences of a marine spill and on Indigenous rights. We are exploring whether we have rights to intervene in the new hearings.

“We are also sitting down with the provincial government to ensure that they are using all legally available means, including terminating the equivalency agreement signed by the previous administration, to protect our coast from a catastrophic diluted bitumen spill.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

Last week, the Federal Appeal Court ruling revealed that politics was put ahead of evidence and reconciliation in the federal cabinet approval of the Transmountain pipeline project. My colleague Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and I both feel vindicated after many years serving as intervenors in the NEB process. The reasons cited in the Federal Court of Appeal ruling validated the key aspects of our arguments during the intervention process.

This presents an opportunity for the BC Government to step in and stand up for the protection of our coast.

On January 11, 2017, then Premier Christy Clark announced that her government’s five conditions had been been met. The Transmountain Pipeline project was given the green light.

Reacting to the announcement, John Horgan said he planned to “use every tool in our tool box” to stop the project. Indeed, these same words are embedded in our confidence and supply agreement:

“Immediately employ every tool available to the new government to stop the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline“

Well the BC Government has now been granted the ultimate tool. Given that the provincial cabinet’s approval of the project relied on the same NEB report, and in light of the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling that the report was “impermissibly flawed”, the BC Government has the opportunity to pull out of the Equivalency Agreement and conduct its own, independent environmental assessment.

This is particularly important in light of the “it will be built” rhetoric emanating from the Trudeau government. How can British Columbians trust an environmental assessment process when the final answer has already been prescribed? The answer is simple, it can’t.

Below is the media statement that we released yesterday on this topic. There is an excellent contextual analysis of the issue in Ainslie Cruickshank‘s article that was published yesterday in the Star Vancouver.

Rest assured, the BC Green Caucus will closely monitor government’s response to our call. We don’t see any compelling reason not to pull out of the equivalency agreement in light of the fact that it is such an important tool now available in the so-called BC NDP toolbox.

Media Release

Andrew Weaver statement on the need for a made-in-B.C. environmental assessment of the Trans Mountain expansion project
For immediate release
6 September 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Today Andrew Weaver urged the Province to undertake its own made-in-B.C. environmental assessment of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

“It is clear that B.C. cannot rely on the Federal government to protect our environment from the risks of this project”, said Andrew Weaver, Leader of the B.C. Green Party.

“The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that there were ‘successive, unacceptable deficiencies’ in the NEB report. As a result, they found that the NEB’s report and recommendations could not be relied upon to make a decision in the public interest.

“Yet the Federal government insists that they will get this pipeline built. This rhetoric shows that they have already determined the outcome, and that they are in a rush to build this pipeline. As a result, it is clear that we cannot trust the Federal government to proceed in an objective and unbiased manner.”

The previous provincial government signed an equivalency agreement with the NEB in 2010, which meant that B.C. relied upon the NEB report in issuing its environmental certificate for the Trans Mountain expansion.

“B.C. needs to be in control of our own environmental review process, to make sure it is objective and evidence-based”, said Weaver. “The provincial government should terminate the equivalency agreement signed by the previous administration. Now is the time to use the tools at our disposal to ensure our environment is protected from the risks of an oil spill.”

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Media contact
Sarah Miller, Acting Press Secretary
+1 250-858-9891 | sarah.miller@leg.bc.ca