NDP stakes out green turf
> BY CHARLIE SMITH
Vancouver-fairview NDP candidate George Heyman says that if his party forms the next B.C. government, it will do “everything” within its power to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline from being built.
“It’s just wrong,” Heyman told the Georgia Straight by phone. “It’s far too much risk. It tramples on First Nations’ rights. It threatens our economy, our coastline, and our quality of life. And it runs counter to our climate-change commitments.”
The B.C. Liberal government and the Trudeau government have approved the project, which would triple bitumen shipments from Alberta to the Lower Mainland. It would also result in approximately 400 oil tankers per year travelling through Burrard Inlet.
Heyman also maintained that the B.C. NDP is “committed to improving transit of all kinds in Metro Vancouver”.
“We have said for several months now that we will fund 40 percent of all of the capital projects in the mayors’ 10-year plan,” he declared. “That’s the Broadway subway, light rail south of the Fraser, new buses, expansion of Handydart, the Pattullo Bridge, and we’ll work with the mayors on increasing service in all of these modes.”
Earlier this month, B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan declared that he would eliminate road tolls on the Pattullo and Golden Ears bridges. That has drawn criticism from municipal officials, including New Westminster mayor Jonathan Cote.
Heyman, however, said that the B.C. Liberal government did nothing after saying for four years that it would review tolling policy.
“So we have tolls on two bridges that have been driving traffic to untolled bridges, causing massive congestion on the Pattullo and along the main arteries in New Westminster,” Heyman said. “People are driving farther. They’re idling in congested traffic and it’s likely worse for climate impacts.”
The Straight then asked if the B.C. NDP platform rules out a regional tolling policy.
“We’ve said that we’ll work with the mayors in good faith on a number of issues that they’ve put forward in which they want to move,” Heyman replied. “They haven’t put anything forward as something to be developed in the short term, but we will be happy to discuss it with them.”
He also repeated the B.C. NDP’S pledge to subject the $8.8-billion Site C dam in northeastern B.C. to a review by the B.C. Utilities Commission.
“I think British Columbians and the BCUC need to look at how much more money is going to be dropped into this white elephant,” Heyman said. “And what could we do with that money to drive rates down for British Columbians and create more jobs rather than the other way around: fewer jobs at higher rates under Site C.”