Premier Christy Clark and labour leaders promise to promote liquefied natural gas industry

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      Premier Christy Clark looked happy standing between two of the province's major labour leaders, Jim Sinclair and Tom Sigurdson.

      They were together at a podium to say they'll work together to ensure that a sufficient number of workers are trained to work in B.C.'s yet-to-be developed liquefied natural gas industry.

      The B.C. government has claimed that this industry could create up to 100,000 jobs.

      Sinclair, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council executive director Sigurdson did not publicly challenge that assertion.

      Both labour leaders supported the NDP in the last provincial election, though many members of the building trades were believed to be upset by Opposition Leader Adrian Dix's opposition to the proposed twinning of a Kinder Morgan pipeline.

      In August, the dean of BCIT's School of Energy, Trevor Williams, told the Straight that the LNG industry will have a "huge impact on the labour force". He suggested that his school will have to "take a leadership role" in providing training.

      However earlier this year, Green MLA Andrew Weaver expressed skepticism about claims by the B.C. Liberals about the economic bonanza that they say will come from this industry. 

      Comments

      3 Comments

      Kevin Logan

      Sep 10, 2013 at 1:11am

      Its laughable. The former BC lib wearing a green jacket is the only who makes any sense on the LNG file. Meanwhile Clark and labour are busy dreaming up more subsidies for oil and gas companies.....

      Its like we are in the twilight zone.

      Alex T

      Sep 10, 2013 at 6:39am

      Seeing such a blatant attempt to sacrifice our future economy and climate for some short-term gains really awakens the cynic in me.

      We need more than mere "skepticism" about the "economic bonanza" if this ponzi scheme to burn our future is to be challenged.