Eby admits helping cabinet minister draft statement opposing Tilbury LNG expansion

SURREY — Premier David Eby confirmed he helped a senior cabinet minister write a public statement criticizing the government’s own decision to fast-track the Tilbury LNG expansion, framing the rare break from cabinet solidarity as evidence of a “big tent” NDP..Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness and MLA for Richmond-Steveston, posted a statement last Friday expressing disappointment with FortisBC’s decision to advance Phase 1B of the Tilbury facility in Delta. The project neighbours her riding.“For months, I have listened to safety concerns from people in my community. I raised those issues with government at every opportunity. I am disappointed with FortisBC’s decision, as I know many of those I represent will be. My position on this project has remained unchanged since before being elected to the legislature,” Greene said.She added that while some community concerns may be mitigated by existing plans, the project “raises concerns about a possible safety incident.”.The same day, the NDP government announced cabinet had issued an order-in-council exempting the roughly $2.2-billion Phase 1B expansion from the usual B.C. Utilities Commission Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity requirement. Energy Minister Adrian Dix promoted the project as creating about 1,100 construction jobs, generating $260 million in tax revenue, supporting marine LNG bunkering at the Port of Vancouver, reducing reliance on higher-emission fuels, and including an equity partnership opportunity with the Musqueam Indian Band.Construction could begin as early as mid-2027, with operations potentially starting in 2031. The project remains subject to other regulatory approvals..Speaking at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Eby defended Greene’s public dissent.“This is an issue that has been important to Kelly Greene as an MLA for her community for a long time. We worked together on her statement, so she was able to continue the advocating, and I supported her ability to do that,” Eby said. He added that Greene is “an amazing MLA” and “a huge champion for her community,” and that “there is space in our cabinet and in our caucus for disagreement.”Eby described the BC NDP government as a “big tent.”Public breaks from cabinet solidarity without resignation are uncommon in British Columbia politics..The Conservative Party of BC issued a statement this week accusing the NDP of “extreme dysfunction” harmful to development projects, contrasting it with their own claimed caucus unity.The episode lands as Eby’s personal approval rating sits at a historic low of 27%, according to a mid-July Angus Reid Institute poll, down from 31% in June and 40% in December. Approval among 2024 NDP voters dropped sharply in the same period.Greene’s long-standing local opposition to aspects of the Tilbury project predates her election.

Eby admits helping cabinet minister draft statement opposing Tilbury LNG expansion

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