VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA-- Jessica Clogg, Executive Director and Senior Counsel at West Coast Environmental Law, made the following comments in response to reported statements of the Prime Minister regarding the potential "hijacking" of regulatory processes like the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines hearings by foreign interests
"Thousands of ordinary Canadians have signed up to participate in the review process for the Enbridge Northern Gateway project because they want their voices to be heard on this important issue. To suggest - as petroleum lobby groups have - that the project has been "hijacked" and "overloaded" by foreign interests is inaccurate, and ignores the right of Canadians to have their say on this important decision."
"Tar sands companies and Enbridge are not the underdogs. There's simply no contest when you stack up, dollar for dollar, the amount of money - foreign and Canadian - being spent to move forward Enbridge's tar sands pipeline and tankers versus the financial resources of concerned Canadian citizens, nongovernmental organisations and First Nations opposed to the project."
"Funding support for our environmental legal aid services is a just drop in the bucket toward righting the dramatic imbalance between big oil and ordinary citizens."
"We will continue to stand up for the right of the public and First Nations to have their say on this project."
Other federal political parties have not yet taken a public position on this aspect of participation in the Enbridge review panel.
One of Canada's oldest environmental law organizations, BC-based West Coast Environmental Law has provided environmental legal aid services to British Columbians to ensure their voices are heard on important environmental issues and worked to secure strong environmental laws for almost 40 years.
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Contact Information:
Josh Paterson, Aboriginal and Natural Resources Lawyer - 778-829-8973
Jessica Clogg, Executive Director & Senior Counsel - 604-601-2501