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Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Stephen Harper: The Psychotic Dictator

Court quashes Enbridge pipeline, slams Harper government for ignoring First Nations


In a stinging repudiation of former prime minister Stephen Harper treatment of Canada's First Nations, the Federal Court of Appeal has asked the government to reconsider a 2014 decision to approve a major pipeline project to the west coast of British Columbia.

In a two to one decision made public on Thursday, the court agreed with the arguments of several First Nations, including the Gitxaala and the Haisla Nations, as well as environmental groups who triggered a legal war to block the Harper government's approval of Enbridge Inc.'s Northern Gateway pipeline.
The controversial multibillion dollar project was approved by Harper's government in June 2014, following a lengthy review, with more than 209 conditions. But Alberta-based Enbridge has not yet been able to get the project started and the court decision blamed Harper's government for messing up the environmental assessment.
If built, the project would ship bitumen from Alberta's oilsands region to Kitimat on the west coast of British Columbia, enabling new exports of Canadian oil to Asia. The project would also include a separate pipeline for a toxic mixture used in the oil pipeline to help the heavy tar-like bitumen flow.
While Enbridge and supporters from the business community have backed the project describing it as a job-creating path to prosperity, many First Nations have joined forces with politicians and environmentalists in opposition to the project because of the risks of an oil spill and the climate-warming greenhouse gases associated with the project and expansion of the oilsands industry.

Orders from "highest level" of Harper's government

In their ruling, the judges from the appeal court said Harper's government rushed the consultation process, with orders from the "highest level of government" directing that information of federal knowledge about the harmful impacts of the project "not be shared with any First Nation."

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