H E R T Z O G

Federal BC Offshore Review A Set-Up

The federal government is setting the stage so it can lift its moratorium on B.C. offshore oil and gas exploration.

CBC Radio (national), March 31, 2003

Last week in Vancouver, Canada’s minister of Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal triumphantly announced that he would be initiating a $1.5 million review of the federal government’s moratorium on oil and gas development and tanker traffic on Canada’s west coast.

I say ‘triumphantly’ because for some time now there has been a pitched battle inside the federal cabinet over this contentious issue.

Victoria MP and federal Environment minister David Anderson wants to maintain the moratorium. Anderson played a significant role in fighting for the federal moratorium in the first place,

Indeed, Anderson’s whole political career flowed from that victory.

On the other side of the cabinet table sits fellow BC Liberal for Vancouver South and minister of Natural Resources, Herb Dhaliwal, along with several other cabinet members including Alan Rock.

Dhaliwal’s announcement means that the pro-development voices in the federal cabinet seem to have gained the upper hand.

The policy review announced by Dhaliwal falls into three parts.

“ (This is) an internal cabinet process known as a Strategic Environmental Assessment. These are routinely done in advance of a sea change in federal policy. What’s unusual is that their existence is generally never publicly revealed, let alone being opened for public input...
It means that the pro-development voices in cabinet seem to have gained the upper hand. ”

First, workshops will bring together the major players to identify gaps in our understanding of coastal marine science, including the potential impacts of oil and gas exploration and development.

A report will be made public once this work is complete.

Then, a three-member science panel will tour coastal BC communities to sound out public opinion on possible offshore energy development.

At the same time, federal and provincial governments will meet with coastal First Nations to nail down the thorny issue of land claims and oil revenues — in short, to get west coast First Nations to buy into the idea that part of the hypothetical billions of dollars in oil and gas revenues will be shared with them as settlement for their claims.

I hope our coastal First Nations have the wisdom to see through this empty promise. Rather than a share of a resource that may not exist and of revenues that may never be realised, I suggest that they insist on cash on the barrelhead before agreeing to anything.

I say that because I think that there’s something decidedly fishy about Herb Dhaliwal’s seemingly innocent west coast marine science review.

What Dhaliwal has announced is actually an internal cabinet process known as a Strategic Environmental Assessment. These are routinely done in advance of a sea change in federal policy.

What’s unusual is that their existence is generally never publicly revealed; let alone being opened for public input.

They are discretionary, which means that cabinet is not bound to follow their recommendations. They have no force in law.

So why the sudden urge on the part of the federal cabinet to open up an internal review for intense public input and media scrutiny?

I believe that the answer is that despite its lip service to scientific objectivity, public input and First Nations consultation, this process is setting the stage for an already-decided federal policy flip-flop.

For a start, the focus on gaps in science deflects from the fact that marine scientists are already telling us quite loudly that oil and gas development will harm the environment and destroy fisheries.

And that’s without any massive oil spills caused by natural disasters, or an accident on the scale of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

Environmentalists and marine scientists should avoid getting drawn into a process in which the crucial facts cannot be discussed.

“ The same divide and conquer tactic will weaken coastal First Nations. Some will buy the promises of future revenues and training for their young people and make a deal, while others will point to the spiritual, cultural and economic values of the existing natural resource, which could be forever destroyed by energy exploration.”

Second, public meetings in coastal communities are going to bring out strong views on both sides. This will allow the federal government to act like Solomon and clear a path for oil tankers to sail right through the centre of BC’s coastal public opinion divide.

The same divide and conquer tactic will weaken coastal First Nations. Some will buy the promises of future revenues and training for their young people and make a deal, while others will point to the spiritual, cultural and economic values of the existing natural resource, which could be forever destroyed by energy exploration.

The end result will be that Herb Dhaliwal and the pro-development members of the federal cabinet, along with the fossil fuel dreamers in the Gordon Campbell government, will ride roughshod over the warnings of both the environmentalists and the federal minister of Environment.

And we’ll all be the poorer for it, and our children, and our children’s children too. Offshore oil and gas development should not be allowed on Canada’s unique and unspoiled west coast.

It is a World Heritage resource that we should make haste to preserve for its incalculable and considerable spiritual, cultural and economic values, for ourselves and for all future generations.

For Commentary, I’m Stuart Hertzog