The subject of pipelines will constitute a key issue for Bloc québécois candidates during the campaign leading up to the federal election on October 19.
Bloc leader, Gilles Duceppe, and the candidate for the Salaberry-Suroît riding, Claude DeBellefeuille, have given the New Democratic Party an ultimatum to clarify its position on the pipeline issue on Tuesday in Vaudreuil-Dorion.
During a press conference held at parc Esther-Blondin with Vincent François candidate for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges riding, representatives for the Bloc québécois expressed their fears regarding the environmental dangers facing municipalities in the region.
To begin with, the Enbridge pipeline, which would be reversed to carry corrosive bitumen, is already located on Soulanges territory and crosses the Ottawa River as far up as Pointe-Fortune. “In the event of a spill, the 40 year old pipeline risks contaminating the water supply for a number of municipalities including Vaudreuil-Dorion which supplies more than 35, 000 people,” warns Claude DeBellefeuille.
Energy East, a second project, is proposed for the same location and will affect, in particular, the municipality of Saint-Justine-de-Newton. This 4, 600 km pipeline would transport 1.1 million barrels of oil daily from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries and port terminals in Eastern Canada.
“There is no ambiguity for the Bloc: we are against the reversal of Enbridge and the Energy East Project.” specified Bloc québécois leader, Gilles Duceppe. “Pipelines have nothing to offer Québec. This is not the case in Western Canada and the NDP tries to gain votes with pipelines but their position is not clear”, he argued.
“You can’t be in favour in Calgary and say no in Québec. The NDP must take a position. The ball is in their court”, declared Gilles Duceppe.
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
