‘Talking a big game, not delivering’: local groups react to federal energy announcement

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As the federal government announces a major overhaul of Canada’s energy regulator, local groups are reacting to proposed changes.

While changes are welcomed, some organizations are calling into question whether leaders can actually deliver.

“This government has a bad habit of talking a really big game and not quite delivering when it comes down to it,” explains Torrance Cost with the Wilderness Committee. “Their commitment to the Paris Agreement and then kind of the discrepancies in them going ahead with big fossil fuel export projects that don’t fit in with that is a really good example of that.”

So while it may look good on paper, Cost isn’t celebrating until action is taken.

Federal Minister Catherine McKenna announced new proposed legislation in Ottawa today, with new plans for the replacement of the National Energy Board (NEB) with a new Canadian Energy Regulator (CER).

According to the federal government, the CER would “help to restore investor confidence, rebuild public trust and advance Indigenous reconciliation — all while ensuring good projects go ahead and our energy resources get to markets responsibly.”

For the Wilderness Committee, if some of the new commitments are acted on it’ll be a big improvement on the previous model.

“If indigenous rights are truly respected and not just considered, if the rights of indigenous nations and wishes of indigenous nations do impact the outcome of a decision, then this is a huge step in the right direction.”

More of the same, says Climate Convergence Metro Vancouver

Thomas Davies, who’s an organizer with Climate Convergence Metro Vancouver, admits the announcement is “more of the same”.

“[Justin Trudeau and the Liberals] promise the best of both worlds. They’re promising corporations they’re going to be able to streamline their projects, and then they’re promising indigenous and environmental organizations that they’re going to get more consultation and more of a say.”

Though the network acknowledges the process before was broken and needed to be fixed, Davies says no framework will be successful so long as the government tries to “do everything at once.”

“We need to make sure that we judge anybody, and especially this government who is very slick in how they present their message,” he says.

But it’s not all negative.

“The thing that we’re happy about is that the government is obviously responding to criticisms about the way that resource extraction projects are dealt with, and environmental policies are dealt with,” explains Davies. “So there’s obviously a lot of discontent. We’re happy that they’re acknowledging that and that they’re having to respond to that.”

But Davies says to fully acknowledge the issues, the government needs to revisit some projects already on the books –like the Kinder Morgan Pipeline which has created tension in recent weeks between BC and neighbouring Alberta.

Minister McKenna had said no projects already under review will be sent back to the starting line. Davies says that means Climate Convergence Metro Vancouver’s job will continue. “We don’t think that the Kinder Morgan pipeline has permission, and will not be built… People in British Columbia and also people across Canada are really unhappy and are ready to continue organizing to make sure that the pipeline doesn’t get built.”

Once the new law is passed, major projects will continue to be evaluated by a federally appointed review panel, but that would happen in concert with bodies such as the CER.