Although all five hereditary clan chiefs to he Wet’suwet’en Nation have clearly stated their opposition, the Canadian Liberal government seems determined to go ahead with TransCanada subsidiary Coastal GasLink’s liquid natural gas (LNG) pipeline projet. This, in spite of the fact that doing so would:
- Fly in the face of the most recent report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which states that the world community must urgently reduce our GHG emissions. LNG Canada represents roughly 10 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year, which would throw a monkey wrench in efforts for BC to meet its emissions targets. Further, this LNG would be shipped to Asia, thereby preventing that market from seeking out more low-carbon solutions to replace coal.
- Dishonour land-treaty agreements between Indigenous communities and the Canadian government. These agreements prohibit pipelines.
- Privatize public resources–as Elizabeth May pointed out, the Canadian government is handing control of the land to TransCanada, a private corporation.
Perhaps most shocking of all, the Canadian government has seen fit to call in the RCMP to arrest peaceful protesters. First a petrol state, now a police state–surely we can expect better of our “democratically elected” (39% “majority”) government? On January 9th, CUSJ President Margaret Rao wrote to the PM and to Jody Wilson-Raybould, the Minister of Justice, to express CUSJ’s dismay with this state of affairs, and “keep your promises to the Indigenous Peoples of this land and to move towards a clean, green economy for the sake of all of our children’s children.”