B.C.'s New Democrat leader Adrian Dix announced Wednesday if his party is elected next May it will hold its own environmental assessment of the Northern Gateway pipeline.
“It’s time that British Columbians took responsibility for this issue and that’s what we’re saying we should do today,” Dix said. “You do that by making a decision in British Columbia in the interest of British Columbians about this question.”
If elected as premier, Dix said he would begin the review process within a week of taking office.
Dix -- who openly opposes the pipeline -- said the BC Liberals failed to give B.C. a voice when they chose to let the federal government handle the National Energy Board’s joint review panel and are concealing information to avoid political responsibility.
“The province of B.C. has not just given up its authority, it has failed to provide evidence,” Dix said. “It is hiding evidence it has from the joint review of this process -- that’s how determined the Liberal government of B.C. is to avoid political responsibility.”
Dix insists a provincial review of the pipeline is needed to make sure B.C.’s economic, social and environmental interests are heard.
“The government of B.C. has abandoned jurisdiction in this area,” Dix said. “So they’ve essentially said this decision will be made by the federal cabinet and we don’t agree with that.”
The federal environmental review process to examine the controversial pipeline has been underway since January.
