My Statement on the Re-approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project
June 19, 2019
In light of today’s decision, I would like to once again address our community on this project. The Trans Mountain Expansion is a deeply contentious issue in Burnaby and North Vancouver, and many members of our community have raised serious, real and appropriate concerns. In the last five years, I have made every effort to listen to, understand and address these concerns. I have hosted town halls and I have attended community gatherings, protests and constituency meetings. I have conducted surveys, open houses, polls, coffee meetings, and knocked on almost every door in our community since the last election, many more than once.
Through many conversations in our community, and thousands of responses to our surveys, I can say with confidence that constituents in Burnaby North-Seymour, on balance, are opposed to this project. That is why I stand behind my vote against the project in the House of Commons, and why I have consistently presented our concerns to the Trans Mountain Ministerial Panel, Cabinet, Members of Parliament, and directly to our Prime Minister. I also wish to acknowledge that in many of these consultations, members of our community have also expressed their desire for this project to go ahead. I take my responsibility to represent our entire community very seriously, and I want you to be assured that I have listened to all points of view with an open mind. I also want to acknowledge the views and concerns expressed by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Their efforts in the courts and in our community have brought our entire country to a better place. The working relationship we have developed over the last four years has been one of the most meaningful to me personally. I look forward to continuing to work with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation on this issue and on the many other issues that are important to the Tsleil-Waututh people.
As we move forward, I will keep listening, and remain focused on addressing our community’s main concerns regarding this project. These concerns primarily focus on marine response capacity, ensuring we meet our targets on climate change, and that we improve safety and emergency response on Burnaby Mountain. Before the previous decision in 2016, I outlined our work on securing the $1.5B Oceans Protection Plan. This is the first plan that not only works to protect the marine environment, but invests in restoring it. Today, those initial efforts have greatly expanded, making our government the most proactive environmental champion of any government in the history of our country.
In addition to the national price on pollution that was implemented on April 1st, today the Prime Minister announced that every incremental tax dollar generated from this project will be dedicated to a Green Low Carbon Transition Fund. I gave my final pitch on this Green Transition Fund directly to the Prime Minister and I am happy to see that this initiative was included as part of today’s announcement. I would like to thank the members of our community who raised this idea in the first place, it is another demonstration of how our community has impacted serious government policy. While details still need to be worked out, the increase in corporate taxes alone could generate approximately ten billion dollars over the first 20 years, which will go directly towards the transition to a low carbon economy. Any net proceeds from the expected future sale of this project will also go towards this fund, and consultations are underway to include significant and meaningful partnerships with Indigenous peoples.
Although it is still my view that the tank farm does not belong on Burnaby Mountain, I want our neighbours on the Mountain to know that on June 1st, the Prime Minister and I, along with Mayor Hurley and the Burnaby Fire Department met to discuss how we can make Burnaby Mountain safer than it is today. The Prime Minister assured our community that the necessary resources will be in place and that we will work directly with the Mayor and the Fire Department to ensure this is the case. In the longer term, I will continue my work to move the tank farm to a more appropriate industrial location.
Being an open, accessible and trustworthy Member of Parliament has been a personal commitment that I take seriously each and every day. I value the trust that our community has placed in me, and I don’t take that trust for granted. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of any kind, I encourage you to reach out to me. When it comes to the Trans Mountain Pipeline, I will continue engaging with our community to make sure our concerns are addressed. I am your voice in Ottawa, not Ottawa’s voice in our community. When we work together, we can make positive things happen and build a better future for our children and our grandchildren.
Terry Beech,
Member of Parliament, Burnaby North – Seymour