The Vancouver Sun reports in its Thursday edition Christy Clark's stunning election victory has raised the likelihood that one or both of the oil sands pipeline projects to the B.C. coast will be built. The Sun's Peter O'Neil and Scott Simpson
say Ms. Clark set five tough conditions for the projects involving environmental protection, aboriginal rights and financial benefits, but the NDP's Adrian Dix was a clear opponent. University of B.C. political scientist George Hoberg, an outspoken oil industry critic, called the election a "major setback" for B.C.'s environmental movement.
While he said the Liberal victory does not give Ms. Clark a public mandate to proceed with either Enbridge's Northern Gateway or Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain projects, he said green groups will have to rethink their approach to political campaigns heading into the 2015 federal election.
"I also believe that an increasing number of environmentalists will choose to resort to civil disobedience when appropriate opportunities arise."
Jack Mintz, director of the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and an Imperial Oil director, said the oil patch remains "uncertain" about B.C., but has some reason for optimism.
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