B.C.’s newly formed NDP-Green alliance will focus on taking big money out of politics, electoral reform and halting the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
B.C. NDP leader John Horgan and B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver released a four-year governing agreement on Tuesday.
If the Green-backed NDP comes to power, the party wants to hold a referendum on proportional representation in conjunction with next year’s civic elections.
The 10-page document also outlines banning corporate and union donations and contributions from non-B.C. residents.
When it comes to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, there’s a promise to “immediately employ every tool available” to stop it. What that means is still unclear.
“I’m sure there are many ways,” says Raj Chouhan, NDP MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds. “It’s our environment, it’s our coastline, which is going to be affected by multiple tankers moving through our waters every day.”
But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing by his government’s decision to approve the project.
“The decision we took on the Trans Mountain pipeline was based on facts, evidence, on what is in the best interest of Canadians, and indeed, all of Canada. Regardless of a change in government in British Columbia or anywhere, the facts, that evidence do not change,” Trudeau said Tuesday during a press conference in Rome.
“We understand that growing a strong economy for the future requires taking leadership on the environment, and we have to do those two things together.”
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley also doubled down on seeing the pipeline through.
“Mark my words – that pipeline will be built. The decisions have been made, and it’s in the best interest of Albertans, Canadians, and in particular might I say, British Columbians,” she said Tuesday during a media scrum in Edmonton. “There may be debate, but at the end of the day, we’re quite confident in the strength of our position.”
The $7.4-billion Edmonton-to-Burnaby pipeline will increase tanker traffic sevenfold and triple capacity to 890,000 barrels of oil per day. First Nations groups and cities like Burnaby are currently fighting the project in the courts.
Other highlights from the NDP-Green agreement include: increasing the carbon tax; establishing a “fair wages commission” that will work towards a $15/hour minimum wage and oversee regular rate reviews; referring the Site C dam project to the B.C. Utilities Commission to see if it’s economically viable; designing and implementing a provincewide poverty reduction strategy; and eliminating MSP premiums.
Meanwhile, Premier Christy Clark told reporters Tuesday she wants to test the confidence of the legislature, which will come as early as next month.
“If there’s going to be a transfer of power in this province, and it certainly seems like there will be, it shouldn’t be done behind closed doors. It should happen in public. ... It should happen in the people’s house with 87 members elected by British Columbians to our legislature making that decision,” she said, adding she’s ready to take on the job of Opposition leader.
