Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Premier In Conflict Of Interest Over Trans Mountain Pipeline Approval: Petition

Darpan News Desk IANS, 01 Feb, 2017 11:59 AM
    VANCOUVER — A decision by the government of British Columbia to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline is "tainted" because of a conflict of interest that saw the premier and her political party receive more than $500,000 from the project's proponents, a court petition alleges.
     
    Democracy Watch and PIPE UP Network filed legal documents Tuesday asking the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn an environmental assessment certificate granted earlier this year for Kinder Morgan's $6.8-billion oil pipeline project.
     
    The petition is the latest in a string of legal challenges aimed at blocking construction of the pipeline between the Edmonton area and Burnaby, B.C. The expansion would nearly triple the line's capacity and increase tanker traffic sevenfold along B.C.'s southern coast.
     
    The petition says based on data from Elections B.C., $560,000 in political donations were made over six years to B.C.'s Liberal party by Kinder Morgan and various oil shippers interested in using the pipeline.
     
    The pipeline approval is "tainted by money," the petition says.
     
    "A reasonable, informed and thoughtful person, after thinking about it for a while, would think that the premier and the ministers would have at least been unconsciously affected by more than $560,000 in payments to the Liberal Party of British Columbia," it says.
     
    None of the allegations have been proven in court.
     
     
    Clark, Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Minister Rich Coleman are all named in the petition. They responded in a statement from the Environment Ministry that says approval was given after a lengthy review.
     
    "The province's clear, consistent and principled position on its five conditions has resulted in tangible and significant investments that will protect British Columbia's environmental and economic interests," it said.
     
    Clark set out five conditions for her government's approval of the pipeline, which included a successful environmental approval process and a fair share of its economic benefits.
     
    Trans Mountain and PIPE UP Network did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
     
    Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch has advocated for a ban on all donations by businesses, unions and other organizations, similar to changes introduced in Quebec
     
    "It's important for every government decision to be made by politicians who do not face even the appearance of a conflict between their private interests and their duty to uphold the public interest," Conacher said in an telephone interview. 
     
     
    Six of the 12 companies that signed transportation service agreements with Kinder Morgan related to Trans Mountain donated more than $330,000 to the B.C. Liberals, the legal documents say.
     
    Trans Mountain received provincial approval on Jan. 11 after the federal government gave the project the green light provided it meet the 157 conditions laid out by the National Energy Board.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Nova Scotia Cabinet Minister Thanks ‘Entire Community’ As Husband Gets Bail

    Nova Scotia Cabinet Minister Thanks ‘Entire Community’ As Husband Gets Bail
    HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's immigration minister thanked "the entire community" for its support Thursday, as her husband was released on bail on charges he assaulted, threatened and choked her on New Year's Eve.

    Nova Scotia Cabinet Minister Thanks ‘Entire Community’ As Husband Gets Bail

    Trudeau Aims To Connect With Canadians In Coffee Shops, Church Basements

    Trudeau Aims To Connect With Canadians In Coffee Shops, Church Basements
    Trudeau is planning to embark on a campaign-style tour, talking to average folks at coffee shops and church basements across the country.

    Trudeau Aims To Connect With Canadians In Coffee Shops, Church Basements

    Full-time Work Faded In 2016 As Labour Market Rode Wave Of Part-time Jobs

    Full-time Work Faded In 2016 As Labour Market Rode Wave Of Part-time Jobs
    OTTAWA — The national labour market saw big gains in 2016, but unlike recent years the net job growth was propelled by a surge in the less-desirable category of part-time work.

    Full-time Work Faded In 2016 As Labour Market Rode Wave Of Part-time Jobs

    Case Of Former Nurse Accused Of Killing 8 Seniors Put Over To Jan. 13

    Case Of Former Nurse Accused Of Killing 8 Seniors Put Over To Jan. 13
      Elizabeth Wettlaufer is charged with eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of residents at nursing homes in Woodstock, Ont., and London, Ont.

    Case Of Former Nurse Accused Of Killing 8 Seniors Put Over To Jan. 13

    Transgender Man: Catholic Hospital Denied My Hysterectomy

    Transgender Man: Catholic Hospital Denied My Hysterectomy
    A transgender man sued a Roman Catholic hospital on Thursday, saying it cited religion in refusing to allow his surgeon to perform a hysterectomy as part of his sex transition.

    Transgender Man: Catholic Hospital Denied My Hysterectomy

    Experts Divided On Social Media Surveillance After Twitter Pulls Plug On Media Sonar

    TORONTO — A recent controversy involving an Ontario-based software company losing access to Twitter because of its marketing practices is just one salvo in an ongoing battle around online privacy, analysts say.

    Experts Divided On Social Media Surveillance After Twitter Pulls Plug On Media Sonar