Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has vowed to do everything in her power to stop Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain Pipeline from being built -- and she鈥檚 willing to spend time behind bars.
In an impassioned exchange on CTV鈥檚 Power Play moments after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government鈥檚 approval of the project -- along with Line 3 -- May swore that the 鈥渁s long as there鈥檚 breath in my body, I鈥檒l fight this damn thing.鈥�
鈥淥f course I鈥檒l go to jail. I鈥檒l block pipelines, I鈥檒l stand shoulder-to-shoulder with First Nations. This is not an issue you compromise on,鈥� said May, a Vancouver Island MP and longstanding voice among Canadian environmentalists.
鈥淲e are not giving up. This is a terrible blow and a betrayal. But we do not give up.鈥�
The major announcement on Tuesday afternoon is one of the most pivotal policy decisions since Trudeau鈥檚 government took office last fall, and is already being heralded as an economic boon by Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. Kinder Morgan鈥檚 $6.8-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C., and Enbridge鈥檚 $7.5-billion Line 3 pipeline replacement, from Alberta to Wisconsin, would increase the province鈥檚 pipeline capacity by more than 1.1 million barrels per day and create thousands of jobs.
The Liberal government also said it will block the Northern Gateway project, which would鈥檝e seen a pipeline cross through the Great Bear Rainforest to Kitimat, B.C., and make good on its campaign promise to introduce a tanker moratorium in B.C.鈥檚 northern waters.
For May, the most serious concerns come from a boost in tanker traffic along B.C.鈥檚 southern coast, which she estimates will increase seven-fold thanks to the Trans Mountain project and threaten tourism, the fishing industry and B.C.鈥檚 southern resident killer whale population.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a question of if there will be a spill, it鈥檚 when there will be a spill,鈥� May said.
May said the type of oil product being carried through the pipeline 鈥� a mixture of bitumen and a diluent -- is also cause for concern because 鈥渢here is no evidence that you can clean up a spill鈥� of that type.
Conservative Interim Leader Rona Ambrose said 鈥渢housands of jobs鈥� have been lost with the rejection of the Northern Gateway project, and said she doubts the Liberal government can follow through on the Trans Mountain pipeline project.
鈥淲ith Kinder Morgan, what I will say is that I don鈥檛 think that this pipeline will be built,鈥� Ambrose told reporters in a briefing after the announcement. 鈥淚 think that the protests will ensue, the fight is on. And so I think today what we saw is one project be rejected -- which is 4,000 jobs (lost) -- and another project sadly be approved that I think all of us know has very little chance of being built.鈥�
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair accused the prime minister of hiding the approval of the Trans Mountain project behind the rejection of the much maligned Northern Gateway project.
鈥淲hat Mr. Trudeau is trying to do is use Northern Gateway as cover, as camouflage, for the announcement on Kinder Morgan, which breaks a fundamental solemn promise he made to British Columbians. That鈥檚 what this is about,鈥� Mulcair said outside the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Mulcair added that he is 鈥渧ery concerned鈥� about the direction Canada鈥檚 environmental policy is headed.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no plan in Canada to reduce greenhouse gases, and there鈥檚 no possible way to reduce our overall greenhouse gas productions, because Mr. Trudeau still hasn鈥檛 done the hard work of coming up with a plan.鈥�
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley cast a sunnier outlook on the announcement. She said that after 鈥渁 long dark night鈥� for Alberta鈥檚 economy, the province is 鈥渇inally seeing some morning light.鈥�
鈥淲e're getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices. We're getting a chance to reduce our dependence on one market, and therefore to be more economically independent. And we're getting a chance to pick ourselves up and move forward again,鈥� she said at a press conference in Ottawa.
Notley reiterated Alberta鈥檚 plan to eliminate coal-derived energy by 2030 and its carbon tax, both of which are seen as ways to temper environmental policy with oil production.
鈥淭o all Canadians, I say this: We don't have to choose between the environment and building the economy. Canada is going to going to be a global leader on climate change. And our country will still create jobs and greater economic equality,鈥� she said.
Indigenous leaders echoed May鈥檚 call for action in light of the announcement.
"The struggle will simply intensify," said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Chiefs. "It will become more litigious, it will become more political and the battle will continue."
Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said the federal government will have to answer to Canada鈥檚 indigenous community.
"They're not going to exclude us the second time. They don't have consent to come through our treaty lands without us," he said.
"Now's our opportunity to send a clear message that we demand that we're listened to. The standard of consent is one of consensus amongst our people. And I don't see a day where our people will consent to destruction of the land, to destruction of the water. I just don't see it."
With files from the Canadian Press
