KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
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DECEMBER 1, 2016 | Volume 29 No. 145
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Cheers and jeers from city hall on pipeline news
Green Party of B.C. Leader Andrew Weaver speaks at Riverside Park on Tuesday. He said his party wants to garner 30 per cent of the popular vote in the May 2017 election. In 2013, the Greens received eight per cent of the popular vote.
ANDREA KLASSEN
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
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Greens call out NDP on donations JESSICA KLYMCHUK STAFF REPORTER jklymchuk@kamloopsthisweek.com
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B.C. Green Party candidates took aim Tuesday at the province’s two major parties for accepting corporate donations while kicking off leader Andrew Weaver’s two-day tour of Kamloops. Speaking in Riverside Park, Weaver called on B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan to release the names of donors and corporations who last week attended a dinner hosted by the party. Weaver said he has watched NDP MLAs call out the B.C. Liberals for “pay-for-access” events, but said they have not held themselves to the same standards. In what is sure to be a major theme for the Greens going into the 2017 pro-
vincial election campaign, Weaver said his is the only party that does not accept union or corporate donations. Donovan Cavers, Green candidate for Kamloops-South Thompson, pointed to donations totalling $55,000 accepted by the B.C. Liberals from KGHM Ajax, the company seeking approval for a gold and copper mine south of Aberdeen. “We have a prime example here in Kamloops of the sorts of donations that are influencing politics,” Cavers said. “Even if they aren’t, they are creating a perception of doubt amongst British Columbians that decisions are being made in their best interests.” Weaver’s was the only seat won by the Greens in the 2013 provincial election.
He won in Oak Bay-Gordon Head on Vancouver Island. The party captured eight per cent of the popular vote, with the Liberals receiving 44 per cent and the New Democrats garnering 40 per cent. Referring to a recent Mainstreet Research poll conducted for Postmedia News that put the Greens at 16 per cent even before most candidates had been announced, Weaver said he would be disappointed if his party did not exceed 30 per cent of the popular vote in 2017. “We’re going to take as many seats in this election as the people of British Columbia will give us,” Weaver said.
B.C. RESPONDS
The expansion of Premier Christy Clark said the a major oil pipeline federal government is close to meeting the B.C. government’s through Kamloops is five conditions for its approval of appearing more likely the Kinder Morgan pipeline. — and it’s prompting mixed emotions from She said Prime Minister city hall. Justin Trudeau should come Prime Minister to the province to explain to British Columbians directly why Justin Trudeau gave his his government considers the government’s approval $6.8-billion pipeline expansion to on Tuesday for Kinder be in the national interest. Morgan to triple the capacity of its Trans Clark expects to have the five Mountain pipeline conditions in place before B.C.’s connecting Alberta to election in May, when the pipeline is expected to be a major issue. Burnaby. The company will The five conditons: Successful twin its existing line in completion of the environmentalmany cases, though in review process; world-leading marine Kamloops it will divert oil spill response; world-leading through a Telus right-of- practises for land oil-spill prevention; legal requirements regarding way in the Lac du Bois aboriginal and treaty rights are grasslands instead of addressed; and B.C. receives a fair crossing private propshare of the fiscal and economic erty in the Westsyde benefits. neighbourhood. — The Canadian Press The pipeline also crosses the Thompson River near Kamloops Airport, while a new pump station is planned for the city. While council has never taken a formal position on the pipeline, Kinder Morgan and the City of Kamloops signed a deal nearly two years ago which would see the city gain about $700,000 in community funding if the pipeline is built — a sum the company has positioned as a way to reduce the impact of construction.
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