LNG promises an election "gimmick": Grand Chief
Vancouver Observer
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said it was "life changing and heart-breaking" to see how fracking was impacting places like Fort Nelson and Treaty 8 territory, which includes a large part of northeastern BC.
"It was an election gimmick, and was bogus from day one," Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said of the Premier's promises of prosperity from liquified natural gas projects at the LNG Pipe Dreams event on Wednesday.
Organized by the Wilderness Committee and the Council of Canadians, the meeting -- which drew about 250 people -- was a "counter-summit" held to coincide with the Premier's own LNG industry conference happening downtown. Chief Phillip said China's recent $400 billion LNG deal with Russia showed how far behind BC was compared to other countries when it came to gas development.
Having been a prominent voice against oil pipeline proposals such as Enbridge Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain expansion, Chief Phillip said it was "life changing and heart-breaking" to see how LNG fracking was impacting places like Fort Nelson and Treaty 8 territory, which includes northeastern BC.
He also said he met earlier that day with the federal government's new natural resources minister, Greg Rickford, in the same room that he had met former natural resources minister Joe Oliver.
"There was no dialogue, no serious discussion at the time, just talking points," he said. "And today, it was the same arrogance, the same condescending manner as before....They're just trying to move around the legal minefield of First Nations' constitutional rights," Chief Phillip said.
He and others at the event urged people to attend a downtown rally at noon on Friday against LNG to send a message to the Premier about opposition to fracking.
His words echoed those of former CAW/Unifor area director Susan Spratt, who gave a rousing speech urging participants to take to the streets and rally to to protect the clean water and natural environment at stake in the push for LNG development. Many of the speakers expressed respect and understanding toward those who chose to work in the industry, but questioned why the government was rushing to develop LNG projects that were viewed as harmful for both the environment and BC's economy.
