Media Release

Media Statement – May 26, 2015

Green MLA calls for more time to consider Election Amendment Act

For Immediate Release

Victoria, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, M.L.A. for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, introduced an amendment today that called for an additional six months to consider the significant consequences of Bill 20 – the Election Amendment Act. If the bill is enacted, it would provide political parties with private information concerning who did or did not vote in a previous election or by-election. It also creates an election financing free-for-all in the pre-writ period.

With comprehensive individual voter turnout records, political parties can match voter records to their existing data on who their opponents’ supporters are. Any matches can be targeted with highly efficient voter suppression tactics to keep opponents’ supporters away from the polls. These tactics are already common in elections, but their effectiveness varies based, in part, on the quality of targeting data.

With the elimination of pre-writ spending limits, the government has opened the doors for more money to pour into B.C. elections. This further increases the issues of election financing in BC – a jurisdiction that already allows anyone in the world to donate to BC political parties, and allows union and corporate donations.

“This bill will have serious consequences for our democracy,” says Andrew Weaver. “There is no evidence that these changes will increase voter turnout and government knows it. British Columbian’s were never asked whether they wanted these changes – I think we need to give them time to have a say.”

Yesterday during committee stage debates, Minister of Justice, Suzanne Anton, acknowledged the lack of substantive evidence to support the government’s claim that this would improve voter turnout, stating: “This is not based on peer-reviewed literature. This is based on election organization experience.”

“As it stands, this Bill offers clear tools to suppress the vote but only offers the government’s word that it will increase it,” says Weaver. “The fact that this information is being provided after an election raises significant fears that it will be used for voter suppression. The Privacy Commissioner has been clear that the bill needs to be amended. We need more time to address her concerns and to consult the evidence.”

Andrew Weaver’s amendment was supported by Independent MLA Vicki Huntington and by the Official Opposition. It was defeated by the government on a vote.

Bill 20 requires Royal Assent before it is formally enact into law.

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Mat Wright

Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver, MLA

Cell: 250 216 3382

Mat.Wright@leg.bc.ca

Media Statement – May 20, 2015
Green MLA calls Pacific NorthWest LNG-BC Government MOU “shocking and irresponsible”
For Immediate Release

Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, says that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the B.C. Government and Pacific NorthWest LNG is a truly shocking and irresponsible act.

“This is the act of a desperate government,” says Andrew Weaver. “For over two years I’ve been saying the same thing. Oversupply in the global natural gas markets means that the economics simply do not support the Liberal’s irresponsible LNG hyperbole. Rather than acknowledging the folly of their pre-election promises, they take the reckless and desperate approach of essentially giving away a resource while simultaneously proposing to hamstring future governments from looking out for the interests of British Columbians.”

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed between Pacific NorthWest LNG and the B.C. Government is a precursor to the controversial project development agreements that are designed to give LNG producers more certainty by making it costly for future governments to change royalty and tax rates.

The project development agreements are being used to get around the fact that by law a government cannot impose limitations on the powers and actions of future governments. They can, however, make it costly, both financially and politically, for a future government to withdraw from an existing agreement.

“By signing this agreement, the government is effectively putting the interests of one corporation ahead of British Columbians. This government has already rewritten environmental laws, rewritten the way royalties are assessed on industry, and advanced a very favourable tax regime for the industry.  Now they are hamstringing future governments. British Columbians are getting a raw deal from a government that is putting politics ahead of good economics. They should be outraged.”

Ironically, this latest event in B.C.’s ongoing LNG debacle comes at a time with the Asian LNG June spot price averaging around $7.12 per million BTU. A recent Macquarie Private Wealth analysis pinned the break even price for BC LNG at between $8.37 and $9.77 per million BTU.

Media contact

Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver MLA
1 250 216 3382
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca

Media Statement – May 19, 2015
Allan’s Withdrawal from Pipeline Hearings gives Urgency for Province to do the Same
For Immediate Release

Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, says that Robyn Allan’s withdrawal from the National Energy Board hearings on the Trans Mountain pipeline gives new urgency to his call that the provincial government pull out of the federal hearings and hold its own made-in-BC review.

“Robyn Allan was one of the real leaders in the Trans Mountain pipeline hearings,” says Andrew Weaver. “When someone as credible and as thoughtful as Robyn Allan writes such a scathing review of this process, we’d be wise to listen.”

Allan’s withdrawal comes just one month after the English Bay oil spill that saw several Vancouver beaches closed due to human health risks from the toxic oil slick. A recent report commissioned by the City of Vancouver emphasised the dire consequences for marine life should a larger spill occur.

An economist and former CEO of ICBC, Allan has been one of the most active intervenors in the NEB hearings. When it was discovered that oral cross-examination had been excluded from the review, Allan led intervenors in what was ultimately an unsuccessful effort to get it reinstated. The lack of oral cross-examination has been described as one of the deepest flaws in the hearing process, seriously undermining intervenors’ ability to evaluate Trans Mountain’s proposal.

Weaver is currently the only B.C. MLA with intervenor status in the hearings. He has been calling on the B.C. government to pull out and hold their own review process for more than six months.

“British Columbians have rightfully lost confidence in the Trans Mountain hearings. Our coastline is too important to leave up to such a flawed process. It’s time for the province to withdraw.”

Last week, Weaver tabled a Private Member’s Bill designed to help British Columbians regain control over the approval of oil pipelines. If passed, the bill would provide an additional tool to residences to force the B.C. government to pull out of the Federal-Provincial Environmental Assessment Equivalency Agreement and hold its own provincial review process.

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Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
Twitter: @MatVic

Parliament Buildings
Room 027C
Victoria BC V8V 1X4

Media Statement – May 14, 2015
Andrew Weaver calls on government to delay debate on Bill 20
For Immediate Release

Victoria, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party is calling on the BC Government to delay the debate on Bill 20, scheduled to take place today.

The Minister of Justice circulated amendments to Bill 20 yesterday, one day before the final debate on the Bill is scheduled to take place. However, at the end of the day yesterday, additional changes were brought forward by government that amended the most recent amendments.

“This is not a thoughtful manner for government to propose amendments to legislation especially when it concerns fundamental issues of privacy,” said Weaver. “We are witnessing a clumsy attempt by government to push through legislation that puts their political interests ahead of the interests of British Columbians.”

The Privacy Commissioner’s concerns have been public for over a month. On April 13th 2015, The Privacy Commissioner wrote a letter to government regarding Bill 20, expressing serious concerns with aspects of this Bill, and urged the government to withdraw sections which amended s.51(2) of the Election Act. These provisions would give political parties the ability to receive information on who voted at the end of an election. Her concerns were related to how this information would be used, especially since making the information available after the election runs contrary to the government’s stated purpose that this information was to be used for “get out the vote”.

“I am profoundly concerned the Privacy Commissioner will not have adequate time to review the amendments and offer recommendations before this Bill is passed. This has the appearance of desperation. The government appears to want the Bill to pass quickly without critical information and review,” said Andrew Weaver. “Let’s postpone this debate and gather the necessary information before proceeding on this Bill”.

Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver, MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382
Mat.Wright@leg.bc.ca

Media Statement – May 13, 2015
Green MLA Tables Bill to Give British Columbians Stronger Say on Oil Pipelines
For Immediate Release

Victoria, B.C. – Today, Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party tabled the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act to give British Columbians a stronger voice on how oil pipeline proposals are evaluated in the province.

“It is clear that British Columbians are concerned about oil pipelines and have lost confidence in the federal review process,” said Andrew Weaver. “The problem is, the tools we have to make our voices heard are too restrictive. My bill would make it easier for British Columbians to make their voices heard.”

Under the existing Recall and Initiative Act an individual can put forward a bill to be either debated in the legislature or put up for a non-binding referendum. To be successful, the proponent must collect signatures from 10% of registered voters in each of the 85 electoral districts within 90 days.

“The requirement to have support from all electoral districts means that any individual riding can essentially prevent a popular initiative from being successful. In the case of regional issues, this is a significant restriction,” says Weaver.

Dr. Weaver’s Recall and Initiative Amendment Act would change the electoral district requirement for initiatives that specifically address pulling out of the Environmental Assessment Equivalency Agreements that govern the federal pipeline reviews. Successful petitions in these instances would require signatures from 15% of registered voters in British Columbia, regardless of electoral district, making it easier to meet the requirements.

If an initiative were to pass under the proposed changes, it would require the B.C. government to pull out of the existing Environmental Assessment Equivalency Agreement for a particular project and hold its own made-in-B.C. review of the oil pipeline.

“Just last month, people in Vancouver saw first hand how unprepared we are for an oil spill. It’s clear from the federal hearings on the Trans Mountain pipeline that these concerns aren’t being adequately addressed. My bill would make it easier for British Columbians to require their provincial government to hold a made-in-B.C. hearing process on oil pipelines.”

Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver, MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382

Mat.Wright@leg.bc.ca