Dr Faggetter stated a clear position about LNG development during the recent CBC forum that is mentioned in the North Coast Review article. The earlier report says:
"Dr. Faggetter pretty well picked up where she left off at her Prince Rupert City Council presentation of July, outlining her concerns over the pace of LNG development on the North Coast and the impact that it could have on the environmental balance in the region.
Of the five participants, she was the one who outlined the most cautious of approaches towards development of LNG terminals for the region. Both from the environmental aspect of the discussion and from the anticipated returns that communities believe they may realize from the development.
She approached that theme of the LNG issue by looking at the recent announcement from the Provincial Government on the tax regime that will be in place on the LNG industry.
Reviewing how the early targets for revenue generation have already been reduced, suggesting that in the past promises have not been kept and that residents of the region should be mindful of how many factors could result in future anticipated revenues to not be delivered as currently expected"
< northcoastreview.blogspot.ca/201 … -part.html >
It is hard to conclude anything other than that the current Mayor and council support that position. Dr Faggetter’s work has not been limited to conducting scientific research; she has gone further and expressed policy positions about LNG development, as the above quote illustrates. That extends to expressing views on tax revenue, although her expertise in that area seems doubtful at best: she is an oceanographer, not an economist.
It’s very disappointing that the current Mayor and council have become partisan over the issue, but choose to express themselves by proxy rather than being plain spoken.
[quote=“bthedog”]
… Also, just what was Joy Thorkelson’s involvement in this decision, as she was the one to make the hiring announcement. Her involvement with the UFAWU should be a major conflict of interest with this decision. …
The city needs to explain why this decision was made and exactly who agreed to it.[/quote]
That is a very good question.
According to a report on Dr Faggetter’s presentation to the Mayor and council last July, she has been funded by UFAWU among others < northcoastreview.blogspot.ca/201 … -with.html >. She would have duties of loyalty to those organizations.
Since it was Councillor Thorkselson who announced the hiring decision, no doubt taken at a closed meeting, it is hard to conclude that she abstained from the decision, as she should have done as a UFAWU official. She really should explain herself.
As if that isn’t enough, a representative of the Northwest BC Benefit Alliance, which is seeking equitable shares of LNG tax revenue on behalf of various municipal governments in the region, got a less than encouraging response from the Mayor and council (although it did give councillor Thorkelson an opportunity to reminisce about being a “radical socialist”).
It seems hard to disagree that getting more money for municipalities to address infrastructure deficits and increased demands on services is a good idea. The Port Edward council has signed on, but the Prince Rupert council seems to be adept at not taking a position < northcoastreview.blogspot.ca/201 … s-its.html >.
Overall the current Mayor and council’s position on LNG development comes across as incoherent. Hopefully some of them will be replaced during the upcoming election.