‘I was in shock,’ says government insider about instructions to ensure approval of Kinder Morgan pipeline
Following the news report, another public servant spoke to National Observer confirming that they attended the Oct. 27, 2016 meeting. The instructions from then-associate deputy minister Erin O'Gorman about the major oil expansion project left them in shock.
"I'm not sure if that was word-for-word, but that was certainly the gist of the message. So I can't say if that was a direct quote, but that was the message I heard,” said the public servant, who spoke to National Observer on condition of anonymity. "I was in shock."
When asked about the reaction in the room, the public servant said they could only speak about their own reaction.
“I guess that's something that wouldn't have fazed me at all if the Harper government was still in power,” the public servant told National Observer. “But given the change in government, seeing as how we were told to provide serious advice, I was rather shocked at being given that kind of direction. It's not something that I would have expected from a Liberal government.”
Trudeau's Liberals were elected after promising to restart the review, launched under the government of former prime minister Stephen Harper, of the Trans Mountain project, as part of a larger plan to restore public trust in federal oversight of major industrial projects. Trudeau had said, while in opposition, that Harper's government had damaged public confidence because of major changes to environmental laws that reduced federal oversight of industry.
The government has tabled new legislation, Bill C-69, to undo some of Harper's changes, but allowed the Trans Mountain review to proceed under Harper's rules after adding an additional consultation and review process, which federal insiders say was inadequate.
'All legally sound from Gitxaala'
The words "legally sound" also appear in records released by the Trudeau government through access to information legislation in response to a request for documents and notes produced at the Oct. 27, 2016 meeting in Vancouver.
They appear next to a sharp arrow with two lines on the left-hand column of personal notes taken by another public servant who was at the meeting.
“All legally sound from Gitxaala,” says the writing next to the arrow.
The message continues on the next line: “Convey with fidelity what they have chosen to do,” the writing appears to say.
These messages are on the second of two pages of handwritten notes taken during the special meeting involving five federal departments and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority related to Kinder Morgan.
“I guess that's something that wouldn't have fazed me at all if the Harper government was still in power, But given the change in government, seeing as how we were told to provide serious advice, I was rather shocked..."
SUCKER!
https://www.nationalobserver.com/20...ut-instructions-ensure-approval-kinder-morgan
