Ottawa rethinks tanker ban — as well it should

Choosing evidence-based policy is welcome, Brian Lee Crowley and Sean Speer write

Justin Trudeau’s government has sensibly been shifting its position on resource development in general and pipeline construction in particular from one of pre-electoral skepticism to postelectoral embrace. It ends months of uncertainty about where it stood on the subject and creates the conditions for a major breakthrough on getting Canada’s energy resources to new markets. But this evolution is incomplete until the government understands how tanker traffic on B.C.’s northern coast is also consistent with and essential to the national interest.

Ottawa’s focus on building positive relationships with indigenous communities and strengthening public trust and confidence in the regulatory process are positive steps. The prime minister also said recently one of his “fundamental responsibilities” is to get Canadian energy resources to international markets. Bottom line: The prospects of progress on pipeline construction seems greater than it has for several years.

Part of this shift in the government’s thinking is doubtless moving from opposition to the cabinet room and learning more about the strengths of Canada’s independent, sciencebased regulatory regime. If true, it’s a victory for “evidence-based policy” and a sign that the Trudeau government is willing to adjust its position in the face of incontrovertible facts.

Which brings us to new speculation that Ottawa may be softening its position on a tanker ban on B.C.’s northern coast. The imposition of such a ban was part of the government’s election platform — reiterated in the transport minister’s mandate letter and subsequent comments by Trudeau and his cabinet colleagues.

Such a ban diverges from the evidence and Canada’s economic interests. Revisiting this campaign vow would thus be another triumph of what works and what makes sense over rhetorical flourishes and special-interest politics.

Canada is a world leader when it comes to managing oil tanker traffic safely in ecologically sensitive waterways. Tankers transporting oil and petroleum products are to be seen almost daily off the coast of Newfoundland, in the Passamaquoddy Bay, on the St. Lawrence River and in Vancouver harbour, for example. And still the number of oil spills in Canada fell to zero in the 2000s. Only the Netherlands and Sweden can match Canada’s perfect record in the last decade. Not surprisingly, there are no serious calls for banning oil tankers off the coast of Newfoundland or along the St. Lawrence.

Not just mere luck, it’s due to Canada’s regulatory standards and a focus on evidence-based safety and environmental practices. Smart policies such as establishing Marine Protected Areas and the placement of significant financial responsibilities on shippers have helped make Canada a world leader in minimizing the number of accidents and oil spills.

A moratorium on West Coast tanker traffic would mean abandoning what’s working and replacing it with the type of simplistic policy thinking that the government claims it eschews.

And what about the economic cost? Consider that the Northern Gateway project alone can contribute more than $300 billion to the Canadian economy, including an average increase of 27,000 person-years of employment per year. A West Coast tanker ban would put this economic activity and good, well-paying jobs into jeopardy — for little environmental benefit.

The alternative is a careful, well-designed marine safety and environmental policy that builds on Canada’s expertise and creates the conditions for our resources to get to global markets. It’s all about following the evidence and advancing Canada’s economic interests.

Early signs suggest that when it comes to resource development the government is prepared to be pragmatic and adjust its positions in response to clear facts and sound arguments. The same ought to apply to banning tanker traffic on B.C.’s northern coast.