XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
   XPost: nanaimo.general, can.politics   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   First the Harper Cons closed coast guard stations on the west coast, now   
   they're using 'reopening and adding ships' as a bribe for the tarsands   
   pipeline.   
      
   Cons - they come by the name honestly.  And Christy Clark - she comes by   
   the name of 'a Con in LIberal clothing' - just as honestly.   
      
   When did the Coast Guard - at taxpayer cost - become an insurance policy   
   for the tarsands oil companies ?   
      
      
   This was less than a year ago:   
   _________________________________________   
      
   Dec 6, 2012   
      
   Poll shows cuts to Canadian Coast Guard could cost Conservative cabinet   
   minister John Duncan his seat in Vancouver Island North   
      
   Poll shows cuts to Canadian Coast Guard could cost Conservative cabinet   
   minister John Duncan his seat in Vancouver Island North; voters strongly   
   oppose planned closure of Kitsilano Coast Guard Station and Vancouver,   
   Comox, Tofino Marine Communications & Traffic Services centres   
      
   Unions to target Conservative MPs with narrow election wins over Coast   
   Guard closures   
      
   And unions representing Coast Guard workers say things will only get   
   worse for BC Conservative MPs if they refuse to listen to public opinion   
   opposing closures.   
      
   The poll of 648 voters in Duncan’s riding found that 79% oppose the   
   planned closure of the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station and Marine   
   Communications & Traffic Services centres in Vancouver, Comox and Tofino   
   that direct and monitor vessels, with 64% strongly disagreeing with the   
   government decision.  The Comox centre is in Duncan’s own riding.   
      
   And 76% of those polled by national research firm Strategic   
   Communications say Duncan’s support for Coast Guard closures makes them   
   less likely to vote for him and his party in the next election, with 62%   
   saying his position makes it much less likely.   
      
   Opposition to the closures includes 73% of voters who say they supported   
   Duncan in the 2011 federal election.   
      
   “The writing is on the wall for every Conservative Member of Parliament   
   who supports closing needed Canadian Coast Guard stations and centres in   
   BC,” says Dave Clark, Union of Canadian Transportation Employees BC   
   Regional Vice-President, representing workers at the Kitsilano Station.   
     “Voters will punish them for making a foolish decision and Coast Guard   
   workers will make sure they know who shut down emergency search and   
   rescue services.”   
      
   “Voters in Vancouver Island North know how important their Marine   
   Communications & Traffic Services centre in Comox is in coordinating   
   Coast Guard search and rescue operations and safely directing vessel   
   traffic at sea,” Hughes said from Comox.  “To shut down such vital   
   services in Comox, in Vancouver and in Tofino and attempt to run them   
   remotely with cameras and radar is a recipe for maritime disasters.”   
   ____________________________________________________   
      
   October 8, 2013 -  Globe and Mail   
      
      
   Federal pledge to build coast guard ships a good sign for B.C. spill   
   response, Clark says   
      
      
   Days after raising concerns about Ottawa's support for marine-spill   
   response on the B.C. coast, Premier Christy Clark says she is "thankful"   
   the federal government is committed to doing better.   
      
   Ms. Clark offered the supportive comments Tuesday when asked about a   
   federal plan to spend $3.3-billion on up to 10 Canadian Coast Guard ships.   
      
   "For decades, the federal government has been withdrawing support for   
   Coast Guard on the west coast – the busiest port in this country. For   
   the first time in decades, we have a federal government that is   
   interested in fixing that problem," Ms. Clark told reporters following   
   an unrelated event.   
      
   "I am very thankful we have a federal government that seems to be   
   interested in helping us do that because we can't do it without them."   
      
   During an interview with CBC broadcast last weekend, Ms. Clark said the   
   federal government would not have the resources to deal with a major   
   spill disaster, noting "we are woefully under-resourced."   
      
   Ms. Clark has made "world-leading" marine-spill response one of B.C.'s   
   five conditions for approving such pipeline projects as Enbridge's   
   Northern Gateway initiative, which would deliver oil from the Alberta   
   oil sands to the B.C. coast.   
      
   The environment critic for the B.C. New Democrats said Ms. Clark's   
   comments on Tuesday suggest an inconsistent position.   
      
   "The position is as clear as tar sands oil," said Spencer Chandra Herbert.   
      
   "She's trying to be both leader of the opposition and premier. One day,   
   nothing is going well. The next day, everything is going well," he said.   
      
   He said he was surprised by her comments. "You don't go on national TV   
   and say, 'We're woefully under-resourced,' then the next day say,   
   'Things are going good.' "   
      
   Mr. Chandra-Herbert also noted that the new coast-guard ships announced   
   this week are years away from being built and deployed. The federal   
   government says the $3.3-billion will allow for up to five multitask   
   vessels and five offshore patrol vessels. Environmental response would   
   be among the roles of the ships.   
      
   "What if there was a spill tomorrow? Those ships wouldn't be ready; the   
   province wouldn't be ready; the federal government wouldn't be ready."   
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   Why should THE OIL COMPANIES be the ones to "be ready" ?  Let THEM pay   
   for any added costs for ensuring no ocean oil spills.  Not their cleanup.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)