Courtesy of Matt Jiggins/Flickr

By Veronica Beltran

North Coast Oil Tankers

NDP MP Nathan Cullen worried after Senate votes against adopting Bill C-48

May 16, 2019 | 4:59 PM

NORTHERN BC–NDP MP Nathan Cullen of the Skeena–Bulkley Valley riding is expressing his concern after the Standing Senate Committee on Transport Communications voted 6-6 last night to recommend against adopting Bill C-48, the North Coast Oil Tanker Moratorium.

Cullen pointed to the worrying precedent of having the senators vote against a government’s election promise.

“This bill has an overwhelming democratic mandate to go ahead. The government and four of the five parties in the last election ran on this promise and the bill was passed through the House of Commons by elected MP’s over a year ago. It received support from parties that together represent over 67 per cent of the vote in 2015 and the votes of almost 12 million Canadians” said Cullen.

Cullen blames the senate reforms by the liberal government for independent senators blocking government legislation.

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“Trudeau’s decision to shortcut electoral reform and find a quick fix for Senate partisanship has brought us to this point where unelected Senators, who can’t be held to account by Canadians, can do as they please and there is little anyone can do about it” stated Cullen.

He adds that the defeat of the bill will mean the North Coast of BC will remain threatened by an oil spill which could cause catastrophic effects in the biodiversity of the coast.

Photo courtesy: Matt Jiggins/ Flickr