Pipeline foes allege Liberals in conflict
Groups ask that B.C. Grits reveal any fundraising links to Kinder Morgan
Democracy Watch and the PIPE UP Network are stepping up their opposition to the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion by asking the B.C. Supreme Court to order the B.C. Liberal party to reveal party fundraising activities involving the company over the past five years.
The application filed Thursday alleges Premier Christy Clark, Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman were in an apparent conflict of interest when they approved the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline in January.
The application is seeking information on the extent of how much Kinder Morgan and pipeline-connected companies were involved in fundraising events for the Liberals beyond the $550,000 donated over the past five years.
It alleges Clark’s conflict was compounded because she benefited personally by receiving a $50,000 annual salary from the party for a total of $300,000 during the five years.
“We’re looking for documents that show the premier or ministers knew the donations had been solicited or payments made,” said Jason Gratl, legal counsel for the groups. “Did the premier and ministers attend pay-for-access events hosted by the Liberal party and attended by Kinder Morgan and other pipeline companies?”
“The B.C. Liberals have hidden as many details as they can about their fundraising events and activities over the past few years, which should make B.C. voters wonder what they are hiding,” added Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher.
The lawsuit alleges a “rational and informed observer would conclude that because of the payment of approximately $560,000 by the interested companies, including Kinder Morgan, to the Liberal party … it is more likely than not that the premier and the ministers were consciously or unconsciously affected by these enormous payments.”
Gratl said Thursday’s lawsuit is part of a larger challenge to the Kinder Morgan approval process.
“This is an application for disclosure. It’s in the context of an application to review the Kinder Morgan pipeline approval.”
Thursday’s action follows a court petition filed in February by the same groups alleging the B.C. government decision to approve Trans Mountain was “tainted” because the Liberals received $560,000 over six years in political donations from Kinder Morgan and various oil shippers interested in using the pipeline.
There has been a string of legal challenges aimed at blocking construction of the pipeline between the Edmonton area and Burnaby. The expansion would nearly triple the line’s capacity and increase tanker traffic sevenfold along B.C.’s southern coast.
The government referred comment on Thursday’s lawsuit to the B.C. Liberal party and party spokesman Emile Scheffel later said it wouldn’t comment on something before the courts.
“I will just point out that all contributions to our party are disclosed in real time on our website in addition to our early release of all 2016 contributions,” added Scheffel.
Trans Mountain received provincial approval Jan. 11. It also has gained federal approval.