Environmentalists & mob mentality

The National Energy Board’s Montreal hearing son TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline proposal got off to a revealingly awful start on Monday. A small knot of protesters rushed in, politicians walked out and the process disintegrated. The NEB has now suspended the hearings indefinitely.

Is it really necessary to note that storming the podium, wrestling with police and haranguing witnesses are not the means by which mature democracies make important decisions? “Progressives” maintain that this sort of “direct action,” or whatever term is used to excuse it, reflects an advanced social conscience. What it really does is substitute disorder for reasoned argument.

NEB hearings are straightforward affairs. Commissioners sit at a table listening to people’s views. Their job is to ascertain the facts in an impartial manner. It’s about as basic an example of the democratic process as you can get. Obstructing them through bellicose means, as happened Monday, simply robs those wishing to impart valuable information, or raise serious concerns, of their opportunity to do so. What are pipeline opponents afraid of hearing?

If the current process unfolds fairly, all sides will be heard, the evidence will be considered and a recommendation issued. It could go for or against the pipeline proposal. We believe that, with appropriate safeguards, Energy East should be built. But that’s how democracy works. “Social licence” should arise from informed debate, not by trashing the place to get your way.

Critics now argue the commission has been compromised by meetings held in advance with interested parties. Two of the three members of the board met former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who was acting as a consultant for TransCanada at the time. They also met Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre and the environmental group Equiterre. Both Coderre and Equiterre now say the meeting with Charest damages the board’s credibility, though they apparently have no such concern about it meeting with them.

Such hypocrisy on the part of environmentalists may come as no surprise. Disinformation is a key part of many environmental campaigns, and it may serve the purpose of protesters like those who shut down Monday’s meeting to prevent undecided onlookers from hearing views that contradict their own. But Coderre’s performance raises serious questions about his integrity.

Like Charest, Coderre is a former senior Liberal. He has made little secret of his opposition to Energy East, although many other pipelines operate safely and effectively in Quebec. For years, the province has profited greatly from the energy industry, which contributes substantially to the $ 10 billion it receives in annual equalization payments. But Coderre is now one of the main roadblocks to other Canadians continuing to benefit from those energy resources. He walked out of Monday’s hearings when the protests erupted, contributing to the “circus” he derided.

While many Quebecers have legitimate questions about the project, Coderre appears more concerned with political gamesmanship than with addressing those concerns in a practical manner. Canada is a sophisticated country with the technical skills to tackle safety issues related to pipelines. Disparaging the process, rather than addressing those issues, benefits no one.

The fracas in Montreal can only increase the pipeline problem for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau has tried to play both sides of the fence, declaring his support for the industry’s need to ship its product to buyers, while insisting it be done in the safest possible manner and via an open and transparent process. “It’s important we have confidence in our regulators,” he said in March. “We are going to allow them to do their job without political interference.'”

That may now be impossible. There are already calls for NEB members to be replaced. In opposition, Trudeau accused the Conservatives of politicizing the approval process, but Liberals like Coderre seem content to continue playing politics with the national interest.

Trudeau recently warned his caucus to brace for a difficult year as the government confronts numerous challenges. Few will be more demanding than the f uture of Energy East and the repercussions it holds for one of Canada’s most vital industries. It’s time to quit playing spectator. The prime minister must ensure the NEB enjoys the trust it needs to do its job, and that it can operate safely and effectively as a neutral and fair-minded body without threat of disruption or political meddling. And he needs to move quickly, before a national consultation falls victim to mob mentality.