Comox Valley NDP candidate Kassandra Dycke is urging MLA Don McRae to take a strong stand to protect BC’s coast from oil spills following recent comments from one of his Liberal colleagues in support of coastal oil drilling.
“It’s bad enough that Christy Clark and the Liberals won’t stand up against the Enbridge pipeline and oil super tankers on the North Coast,” said Dycke. “Now they are talking about lifting the moratorium on coastal drilling.
“I hope Don McRae will speak out for our coast and marine eco-systems and clearly say he opposes coastal oil drilling.”
Dycke was reacting to Liberal MLA John Rustad’s comment over the weekend that, “With the debate raging around pipelines I'm sure there isn't much appetite for offshore oil and gas. However, if B.C. is ever going to become debt free, one day this is going to have to happen.”
NDP House Leader and energy critic John Horgan said the Liberals are being reckless with B.C.’s coast.
“Proposals like the Enbridge pipeline pose incredible risks to our coast, but the Liberals refuse to establish strong assessments based on rigorous science,” he said. “This support for coastal oil drilling shows even greater recklessness with our marine environment.”
He noted that B.C.’s New Democrats have consistently pressed for continuing the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling in B.C.
Horgan and Dycke will speak at the Comox Valley NDP fall dinner this Saturday at the Florence Filberg Centre.
For details or more information, call 250-334-3434.
— BC NDP