PETERS – Proper consultation with indigenous communities the right thing
(Image: Kinder Morgan photo)
THE PAST SIX YEARS have brought quite a roller coaster ride for the Trans Mountain pipeline.
The original pipe was completed in 1953, but it was only 2012 when Kinder Morgan said it wanted to expand the pipeline.
The multi-billion dollar expansion project has looked to be on its death bed a number of times, only to be revived.
When at times the National Energy Board and the B.C. Supreme Court seemed to be clearing the way for the pipeline to be built, other hurdles would be put up.
Kinder Morgan itself lost confidence in the project’s prospects, selling it to the Canadian government at the first opportunity.
So after the latest decision from the federal Court of Appeal, it still feels premature to declare the project dead.
James Peters is the radio anchor at CFJC, coming to Kamloops in 2006. He anchors the afternoon news on B-100 and 98.3 CIFM, and contributes weekly editorials to the CFJC Evening News. He tweets regularly @Jamloops.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
The judges say you must consult with first Nations but do not define what level of consultation is acceptable.As far as a few of the First Nations go in this case the only acceptable level of consultation is a full veto for them. Is that what you mean by proper consultation. The judges in this case really blew this one simply by not defining what would be acceptable and stop this constant referral to the courts for judgement without guidance. The government should move to shake up the courts by the notwithstanding clause or a parliamentary vote overruling this decision. The social license JT keeps talking about is dead and buried.
LikeLike
A well reasoned article. It is unfortunately hypocritical that our federal government has decided to equate pipeline construction wih reconciliation. Like many of their decisions they smack of a complete reversal of promises.
LikeLike