Dear Editor,
Mayor Derek Corrigan claims that the Kinder Morgan pipeline was his highest campaign priority, therefore he was elected on this issue. Mayor Corrigan is therefore compelled to answer the concerns of Burnaby residents.
Context: I have written my MP, Kennedy Stewart (NDP), for clarification on the federal NDP’s policy on the Kinder Morgan’s proposed expanded pipeline. He has constantly failed to respond. As well, the NDP’s leader, Mr. Tom Mulcair refused to offer any clarification even when asked directly by Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party. This was seen on the Maclean’s leaders’ debate.
We can also learn from the recent media reports that the federal NDP is in favour of extracting natural resources (i.e. Alberta oil), however, they oppose the “approval process” and have gone so far as to criticize the current government for “not being able to get the pipeline approved.”
Based on anecdotal evidence and the pre- and post-elections inconsistencies by various levels of the NDP party, any reasonable person will be led to the conclusion that we, the residents of Burnaby, must prepare ourselves for the pipeline approval process to be “fixed” by a federal NDP government and that the proposed pipeline may in fact materialize.
With this reasonable assumption in mind, will Mayor Corrigan please tell us if he will:
- Still be prepared to jump in front of a bulldozer to stop the pipeline?
- Still be prepared to take actions to stop the pipeline even if it means “ending his political career.”
- Continue to oppose the pipeline with ferocity despite whichever level of jurisdiction it falls under.
- Continue to initiate and spend our tax funds in court battles against the pipeline even despite their futility such as the legal challenges that have already been launched.
- Stand against any and all federal NDP policies that will facilitate the construction of the KM pipeline?
Mayor Corrigan’s direct and forthcoming answers, with the absence of political double-speak, would be most appropriate to these question of profound interest to the residents of Burnaby. These questions have very direct relevance to the platform that Mayor Corrigan campaigned on and to the mandate he was given by the voters of Burnaby.
William Smith, Burnaby
