Federal MP Dominic LeBlanc (L) listening to Peter Higham in the lobby of Convocation Hall
Groups opposed to the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel plant near Centre Village presented information to Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc today explaining why they’re so strongly opposed to the project.
During a brief exchange on the Mount Allison University campus, Peter Higham of Seniors for Climate — Tantramar suggested that as minister of international trade, LeBlanc should be concerned that NB Power has awarded the gas plant contract to an American company at a time when the U.S. is threatening Canada economically.
Higham also seemed to question why LeBlanc hasn’t said anything so far about a project that was announced more than eight months ago.
“I’m not ducking the thing,” LeBlanc said as he suggested that the federal government is not about to tell NB Power what it can and cannot do.
Penny Mott, also of Seniors for Climate, presented LeBlanc with a letter outlining a number of reasons why she believes the project should be of concern to a federal minister including international recognition that the fragile ecosystem on the Chignecto Isthmus needs protection; that burning fossil fuels in a gas/diesel plant hastens catastrophic climate change and that in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, Indigenous people should have been asked first for their consent.
Mt. A. Religious Studies Professor Barb Clayton from the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition presented LeBlanc with a petition signed by 130 scientists and academics opposing the gas plant and suggesting alternatives such as renewable energy sources combined with battery energy storage.
In each case, LeBlanc promised to read the materials, but declined to answer questions from Warktimes.
Anti-gas plant demonstrators
Demonstrators at Mt. A. Photo: Juliette Bulmer
Earlier, demonstrators gathered at various locations on York Street where they knew LeBlanc would see them on his way into Convocation Hall.
The federal minister was guest speaker at the installation ceremony for Moncton lawyer George Cooper who is the university’s new chancellor.
One of the demonstrators, Logan Atkinson, said in spite of repeated attempts, groups against the proposed plant have not been able to talk directly with LeBlanc.
“He hasn’t talked with us since the beginning of our protest. We haven’t heard a word from his office in months,” he said.
“We’ve tried several times by e-mail, by phone calls, his office has either not responded or responded weakly or put us off, so it’s not good enough. We did have a meeting in Shediac with his assistant early on in the fall, that’s it, nothing since.
“So, it’s not good enough for our MP to be ignoring us like this. We need his help. We need the help of every politician we can get and it’s just not coming from him.”
Thank you, Wark Times, for covering an issue that would have major health and environmental damages if there is not this growing opposition to the US gas plant.
Dear seniors.. and as I told Penny.. your online group lacks transparency [private]..
its not helpful for the discussions around here, is it? At least Dominic Leblanc uses X and is approachable online.. that’s more than we can say for your militant locals .. put the Facebook group to public.. at least..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1313129683492484/about/
WHY in the world would LeBlanc say THAT if THAT was not the very thing he was doing? “I’m not ducking the thing”, means that IS exactly what he is doing. Imagine having to be ambushed by mild mannered people at a Mount Allison event at Convocation Hall, in order to be pressured to listen to their complaints after 8 months or more of those people following ALL the official channels of communication and respecting the protocols. It makes me sick. Here’s a thought, maybe it’s time someone applied for a right to information request to determine just how much LeBlanc has been lobbying over the American owned, Centrevillage gas plant at NB Power, directly, or by proxy, or not. Here’s another thought. LeBlanc was first elected in 2004, it’s past time for Beausejour to elect a new MP. Next election it’ll be a quarter century as MP. LeBlanc has discredited himself and not for the first time; he’s no credit to Beausejour.
Agree on his expiration date but afraid it’s not going to happen as long as he runs. He has never cared for this part of his riding and never likely will. Other than the photo ops like the one at Mt A and other ones he gets welcoming invites to.
Did anyone bring up a conflict of interest suggestion to Mr. LeBlanc, considering he is the one negotiating with the US over trade, meanwhile Pro Energy – a US company – is seeking to establish a foothold in our area despite the actions of its Government?
Some transparency in that department would be nice, at least.
What is LeBlanc’s conflict of interest? He doesn’t have any financial interest in the project, he has no power of decision over it, and it could be called an abuse of his ministerial power if he interfered with a business arrangement that is completely legal.
The decision to contract with a US firm was made by NB Power, a provincial crown corporation. As federal Minister Responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, LeBlanc’s job is to normalize the disrupted trade between Canada and the US. It isn’t his job to interfere with individual business agreements. That kind of interference is the sort of authoritarian abuse that Donald Trump specializes in.
I would think that it’d be a conflict of interest where this is his riding that a US company is trying to get a project going worth Billions, and he’s the one negotiating trade with the US. Even though the selection of Pro Energy was by NB Power and before he got the role, right now it *could* come across him giving some favour to the US because it’s in his riding (at least) and he’d want to see good relations/positive relations over what’s best for Canada.
Or they can hold it over him in the negotiations, you know, a sort of “nice project there, be a shame if it doesn’t go through” (which could kick back and affect trade negotiations as well if you think about it). Remember, Pro Energy reportedly has ties to the Regime; if they want this plant bad enough, you don’t think they won’t but whispers into ears for it to be used in negotiations, or to be used personally against LeBlanc? And while I’m sure it’s not likely/shot in the dark/reaching or grasping at straws or whatever excuse, personally with how the US has been over the past year plus, there is nothing that would surprise me coming from these… people. The US (no, NOT all of them) and those who support the current regime don’t give a flying f about anything or anyone; only what they want matters.
He could at least have said by now either that he can’t speak due to that role and not wanting to get involved in the issue, or suggest that if the people of his riding have an issue, they can go to another MP who could take it up for him in Ottawa (before we had to do it ourselves and thanks to Elizabeth May FOR standing up for us in Ottawa). At least explained it when he was given the chance, and not say “I’m not ducking the thing” when in reality, that is EXACTLY what he’s doing.
He’s basically hung us out to dry without any consideration or support what so ever; that’s not what he was elected for and it won’t (shouldn’t) help him next election (but then likely no one outside our area will give a damn and vote him back in anyway all because of that Red L).