May 30, 2017 - Kinder Morgan Pipeline Faces Setback with New Coalition Government Tweet

The TransMountain Pipeline Project, proposed by Texas oil giant Kinder Morgan, was dealt a major setback on Monday after an agreement was reached between the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Green Party.

According to the Wall Street Journal,

“The leaders of British Columbia’s left-leaning New Democratic Party, or NDP, and the province’s Green Party said they had reached a tentative agreement on cooperation that would let the NDP govern Canada’s third-largest province for the next four years.

An election in British Columbia earlier this month left the governing Liberals, which approved of the Trans Mountain expansion, one seat short of a majority, with 43 out of 87 seats up for grabs in the provincial legislature. The NDP won 41 and the Greens won three.”

Tsleil-Waututh Nation spokesperson Rueben George speaks out against pipeline.

The NDP and Green Party will form a coalition government.

Opposition to the Kinder Morgan pipeline was a part of the Green Party platform.

Details of the new coalition government are to be released on Tuesday, but according to Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, the ‘pact’ reflects the Green Party’s opposition to the pipeline.

The Kinder Morgan pipeline, which was recently approved by Prime Minister Trudeau, if built would, “triple the amount of oil shipped from tar sands fields in Alberta from its present level of approximately 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day to the British Columbia coast.”

Numerous Tribes and First Nations have led a joint effort opposing the proposed pipeline that if built would threaten the Salish Sea.

“The TransMountain Pipeline expansion threatens the ancient fishing grounds of the Suquamish Tribe. Increased traffic disrupts fishing and the real threat of oil spills puts the Salish Sea at an unreasonable risk. It is our duty as stewards to the Salish Sea to oppose this project,” said Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman.

John Horgan, a leader with the NDP and who also opposes the pipeline, stated that he was “confident” his party would ratify the cooperation deal.

By Matt Remle (Lakota)