Cullen Says 'Not A Good Day For Enbridge'

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. -  The Federal NDP's Natural Resources and Energy critic says the 'ball' is now firmly in the Conservative government's court...

By a vote of 143-to-138, Nathan Cullen's motion banning oil supertankers off the north and central coast of B.C. won support in the House of Commons late today.  While the vote is non-binding, the New Democrat MP expects the court of public opinion will win out in the end.

The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP says, "We believe the House has given the government a mandate tonight to follow through on this, if they choose not to -- we're going to give them the time, we're going to allow them the space to do what's right -- if they choose not to, as many of us suspect, then we move to the second stage."

Cullen says that second stage will begin in weeks, rather than months, and involves sitting down with the groups that have advocated for the ban -- First Nations, environmental groups, municipal leaders from the region and fishing and tourism businesses -- to find a truly grassroots way to determine the next course of action.

Cullen admits it could take the next general election to realize the 'gains' of today's victory.  "I think the Conservatives, having landed on the wrong side of this vote so clearly, has got a number of them worried about their next election prospects because, clearly, people in B.C. don't want this thing and I don't know which part of 'No' the government doesn't understand -- so while this doesn't legally force the hand of the government right now, this clearly sets the stage for the what the next election question will be in B.C. and there is two: one of them, the HST, and the other one is now on supertankers off the northcoast."

As for the impact on the Northern Gateway twin pipeline project, Cullen says it's not a good day for Enbridge.  "But we've said from day one that their project had too much risk and not enough benefit for the people of northern B.C. and British Columbia, in general."  He says it's up to the company to try and make its case, but they lost today and he suspects they'll lose in the long run.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us