The Hamilton chapter rallies to call on the federal government to halt pipeline reviews.
The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter rallied outside the Federal Building in their city yesterday to call on the Trudeau government to halt the deeply flawed National Energy Board review process for pipelines.
The outreach for the rally stated, “Hamilton 350 Committee invites you to a RALLY on Tuesday, January 26 at 11 am at the Federal Building (55 Bay Street, near York Blvd) in Hamilton. We are calling on the Trudeau government to keep its election promises and halt the broken National Energy Board pipeline hearings.”
The Liberal platform this past election stated, “We will immediately review Canada’s environmental assessment processes and introduce new, fair processes that will: restore robust oversight and thorough environmental assessments of areas under federal jurisdiction [and] provide ways for Canadians to express their views and opportunities for experts to meaningfully participate… We will modernize the National Energy Board, ensuring that its composition reflects regional views and has sufficient expertise in fields like environmental science, community development, and Indigenous traditional knowledge.”
They also promised, “We will undertake, in full partnership and consultation with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation, a full review of laws, policies, and operational practices. This will ensure that on project reviews and assessments, the Crown is fully executing its consultation, accommodation, and consent obligations, in accordance with its constitutional and international human rights obligations, including Aboriginal and Treaty rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
Other Council of Canadians chapters have also been mobilizing to push the Liberals to keep their election-time promises. On Jan. 15, our Thunder Bay chapter rallied outside Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu’s constituency office and delivered a letter to both Hajdu and Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak calling on them to halt the pipeline reviews on the Trans Mountain and Energy East pipelines. And on Jan. 23, our Mid-Island and Vancouver-Burnaby chapters protested the National Energy Board hearings in Burnaby on the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Council of Canadians energy and climate justice campaigner Andrea Harden-Donahue has stated, “The existing reviews for both projects have shown a lack of adequate aboriginal consultation, a clear democratic deficit, and a failure to evaluate climate implications. The National Energy Board itself is stacked with recent Harper appointees and industry insiders. The Liberal government must live up to its promises by stopping the flawed NEB review of these controversial projects and launching a public review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes.”
And just hours ago, Harden-Donahue noted, “Natural Resources Minister Carr is set to announce the much anticipated principles and possible supplemental assessment for new oil pipelines this afternoon.” To read her blog on how we will evaluate the announcement expected at 5 pm ET today, please click here.
For more on our energy and climate justice campaign, please click here.