Kamloops MLA on court reference case to regulate oil flow from Alberta: The NDP is ‘playing games’

Apr 26, 2018 | 3:39 PM

VICTORIA — In Peter Milobar’s eyes, the minority NDP government’s court reference case to regulate oil flow from the Trans Mountain Pipeline is proof that they continue “to play games.”

The Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA made the comment after the province submitted its court reference Thursday.

The Horgan government says it did so “to affirm its right to protect B.C. from the threat of a diluted bitumen spill.” But Milobar wasn’t buying it.

“I think it’s become very obvious that they’re just continuing to play games. It’s like they’re almost admitting that they really don’t have a role to play in this and now it’s a way to try and find an exit strategy out of this whole situation they’ve created,” he said. “They admitted today they can’t control tankers and so it’s time that they try to rebuild B.C.’s reputation instead of continuing to drag it down further with the investment community.”

Milobar added the uncertain timeline is also “a concern.”

“The fact that they’re essentially saying that they want to have some say over spill response when there already is a spill response… they just don’t happen to agree with what that response is. So, what’s the end game here? Would there ever be a spill response that they would see to be adequate? It really seems to be nothing more than a delay tactic.”

Earlier this month Kinder Morgan suspended all “non-essential activities and spending” on the $7.4 billion project due to uncertainty created by opposition to the project. The company has set a May 31 deadline for all of that uncertainty to be resolved.