Evidence of meeting #38 for Natural Resources in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pipeline.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
This has been noted by the current mayor, your successor, Mayor Rogers, and I'm quoting the mayor here: “I think that everyone understands that is participating is that it's being driven by Enbridge. No surprises there. It's PR strategy”.
Would you disagree with the mayor of Prince George?
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
Well, yes and no. As you can appreciate, Mayor Rogers was on my council with me for nine years. What I would say to that is that I don't see it as public relations; I see it as public information so that mayors such as Mayor Rogers, the mayor of Dawson Creek, and the mayor of Prince Rupert can be included in all the latest information.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
The mayor of Terrace pulled out of the community advisory board, saying that it was fraught with conflict of interest and he couldn't participate. Recently, a mayor from Kitimat, which this project is supposedly meant to mostly benefit, said, and I'm quoting again:
Throughout this time the group was changing, the vacant chairs w[ere] being filled, new faces appeared around the table but not one citizen of Kitimat, only companies set to make a profit. The CAB is now ostensibly made up of project supporters from the Lower Mainland, from Terrace, with a few from Kitimat, including our EDO, with the remaining being Enbridge staff.
Furthermore, I don’t know how you can call what remains “a Community Advisory Board” when most members are from out of town and the region.
Enbridge set up these community advisory boards. Is that correct?
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
The community advisory boards have been in existence--and I think they're on round seven--for about a year and a half. Just to correct you, Mr. Cullen, that was not the mayor of Kitimat. The mayor is Joanne Monaghan. That was a—
11:40 a.m.
NDP
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
The mayor of Terrace pulled out of the community advisory board—
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
—I thought you said the mayor of Kitimat. That's Randy Halyk. He sat on the board. That's a personal decision of his to remove...and those are his thoughts.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Sure.
I just want to clarify a quote you said earlier. Did you say that Americans dictate the price of our energy?
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
On our oil, it's our only marketplace: 99% of our oil goes there.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It's so strange because we're talking about energy security here and we've had oil companies in front of this committee talking about how this is a globally traded commodity and Americans don't control the price. the market controls the price.
You said in an open letter to members of Parliament, which you signed here, and went into a lot of national papers.... I assume Enbridge paid for this as well.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You said, “Don't be fooled by unsubstantiated hype and outright deceit”. Were you talking about anyone in particular in terms of the deceit?
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
No. there's a general theme that has been brought to my attention—because I actually have an e-mail address as the chair of the alliance—with some claims and stuff that, in my view, are wrong.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Enbridge has said in its application that it can't be responsible for shipping liability. Is that true?
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
I would understand that once the product, any product, is put on a ship, it becomes the responsibility of the shipper.
11:40 a.m.
Chairman, Northern Gateway Alliance
But under this proposal, Enbridge will vet who those carriers are. They'll have to meet the standards set out by Canada and Enbridge before that product could be put on the ships.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You've seen what's happened to our forestry sector in terms of mills closing and communities being hurt.