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Minister broke law ahead of pipeline hearings: Critics

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KITIMAT (NEWS1130) – Critics of the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project claim the Natural Resources Minister may have broken the law after releasing a scathing letter yesterday.  Joe Oliver suggests some of the opponents to the project are radical groups trying to undermine the Canadian economy.

The question is: Did Oliver breach the environmental assessment act?  One lawyer we spoke with says he may have because ministers are not allowed to advance a project while the regulatory process is underway.

But Oliver points out his letter doesn’t identify one specific proposal, so he didn’t break the law.  He adds he wants critics to have their say and he isn’t opposed to all environmentalists, just ones that are trying to hurt Canada.

“It’s $3 trillion in economic activity over the next 25 years, hundreds of billions of dollars to governments in the form of taxes,” says Oliver.  When he was asked to name an organization that fits that description, he wouldn’t give an example.

Locals living in Kitimat are angry by Oliver’s comments because many are still trying to make up their mind about the project.

District of Kitimat Mayor Joanne Monaghan says the town has seen a big turnaround in the last few years.  “When I took over three years ago, we were a company of doom.  Everything was leaving us; Methanex left and now my council and myself feel that we’re the council and mayor of boom.”

She adds it has nothing to do with oil.  Monaghan credits natural gas and liquified natural gas projects for the town’s comeback.

The Enbridge Pipeline Gateway proposal is to build a 1,172-kilometre twin pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat.  The public hearings for the $5.5 billion project begin today and are expected to take 18 months to complete.

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