Conservatives and Liberals abandon belugas

Despite opposition from experts and citizens, Conservative and Liberal MPs have chosen to put the oil port project in Gros-Cacouna ahead of protecting St. Lawrence belugas – a threatened species under the Species at Risk Act. During a vote in the House of Commons tonight, they rejected the NDP motion to oppose this project.

“Conservatives and Liberals have once again sided with oil companies and ignored environmental consequences, instead of acting in the interest of their citizens and protecting a threatened species,” said Deputy NDP Environment critic François Choquette (Drummond).

This oil port project, which would be built right in the middle of the belugas’ natural habitat in the St. Lawrence Estuary, would have dire consequences for the survival of this species. In addition, the project does not meet basic sustainable development criteria for our natural resources that a growing number of Canadians strongly support.

“This project would be harmful to the environment, contrary to the public will and present almost no economic benefit for Canada. It’s shameful that the Liberals joined forces with the Conservatives to reject this motion, after positioning themselves as ardent defenders of the environment,” added Choquette.

This vote shows the NDP is the only party that will continue to fight to protect the St. Lawrence Belugas’ habitat, and to defend the interests of Canadians who care about the environment.