‘They were misled’: Mulcair says Kinder Morgan decision breaks the trust of British Columbians

Liberals approve pipeline under Stephen Harper’s broken review process—despite a promise not to.

Justin Trudeau has betrayed a clear commitment that he made to British Columbians during the campaign that the Kinder Morgan pipeline would not be approved under the Conservative’s broken review process.

“Justin Trudeau didn’t just break his promise today, he broke the trust of many Canadians,” said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. “Many in BC and across the country voted Liberal because they were led to believe that this pipeline would not go forward under a Liberal government. It’s clear today that they were misled.”

Several Liberal MPs were elected stating that Kinder Morgan’s Transmountain pipeline could not be approved because it had not undergone a credible public review process. The government’s hand-picked cabinet panel admitted that this project faces strong opposition from First Nations communities, and the recent Bella Bella oil spill demonstrates that the BC coast is not prepared for a 7-fold increase in tanker traffic.

“The Liberals should not have approved this project under a system they themselves admit isn’t credible,” said the NDP leader. “They should have brought in a new review process to address environmental concerns, allow for full public participation, and look at project impacts on value-added jobs. That’s the only way to arrive at social license.”