Liberals: Trudeau discusses pipeline politics,

VANCOUVER— Justin Trudeau has renewed his party’s opposition to the Northern Gateway pipeline, pledged support for the Keystone XL project, but is withholding judgment on a third, controversial pipe to ship oil through Eastern Canada.

Trudeau said that a Liberal government would formalize a moratorium on crude-oil tanker traffic through B.C.’s northern coast to protect sensitive areas from the impacts of a spill.

That effectively rules out the Northern Gateway pipeline, a project meant to deliver Alberta oilsands crude to the B.C. coast.

“Anyone who has been to the Great Bear rainforest knows that that’s not a place for a crude oil pipeline,” Trudeau said, referring to the sensitive ecological areas along the northern B.C. coast.

The Liberal leader said that as a resource nation, Canada has always needed to get products such as grain, lumber, minerals and oil to market.

“But in the 21st century, it means doing it right,” Trudeau said during a campaign stop here. “We know as an alternative to pipelines, we’ve seen oil by rail spike over the last few years with, in some cases, disastrous and even deadly consequences.”

There are several pipeline proposals on the books to move Alberta oil to global markets.

Trudeau said the Liberals have been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline. This project would carry oil from Alberta to refineries on the U.S. gulf coast. Approval for the pipeline is tied up in the U.S. administration.

Energy East is a 4,600-kilometre pipeline to ship 1.1 million barrels of oil a day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries and port terminals in Eastern Canada.

Asked about his stance on Energy East on Thursday, Trudeau would only say, “we have a process to go through.”