The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that under Canadian laws, major
projects are subjected to regulatory
hearings conducted by
panels possessing the necessary
expertise to reach technically and
environmentally sound decisions.
The Globe's Gwynn Morgan writes that proponents and opponents make
their cases for and against, recognizing
a tribunal will make
the final decision.
That was before "social licence" became an additional
obstacle. The social licence argument provides anti-development lobby
groups with the opportunity to
impact a project's fate by fostering
opposition not only from
those directly affected, but the
public at large.
In this dynamic, the playing
field is almost always tipped
against the project sponsor.
A case in point is the effort
environmental NGOs exerted to
convince first nations that
Enbridge's Northern Gateway would destroy their
water supplies and pollute their
soil. Mr. Gwynn says these same groundless
tactics have been used in an effort
to turn public opinion in British
Columbia, and across Canada,
against the project. Hidden from the public is the NGOs' real
agenda, which Mr. Gwynn says is stopping development of
the Canadian oil sands.
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.