Quick Council update on the Mayor’s motion on the expansion of coal terminals.
The Mayor’s motion to study the health consequents of the expansion of a coal terminal passed with the support of Vision and Green Councillors. The NPA voted against the motion. Apparently NPA are okay with coal dust and climate change and it does not need to be studied.
Interesting development from yesterdays debate from Council is the Port of Metro (PMV) did not send anyone to speak to the motion, which seems curious. A new group called the “Coal Alliance” spoke against the Mayor’s motion. The groups representative is an former journalist from CTV named Alan Fryer. Apparently the group just formed and just started a website. The website does not come up on a Google search ( ok I just found the site, but there is no content. Here is the link). It would be interesting to know where the group gets it’s funding and who are their members groups.
Its understandable that PMV does not want it’s CEO or the vice president of corporate social responsibility, Duncan Wilson, standing at Council defending coal exports and its connection to public health and climate change. It demonstrates a hunkering down into a bunker mentality when a CEO or a VP steps aside and lets the professional PR folks deliver the message to deflect the heat.