Support bill C606 - ban tankers from BC North Coast

Bill C-606: Action to Protect B.C.'s Oceans and Communities

My Private Members' Bill C-606, An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (prohibition against the transportation of oil by oil tankers on Canada's Pacific North Coast), will proceed to debate at second reading at the end of March 2011.

Bill C-606 focuses specifically on B.C.'s north coast, legislating a crude oil tanker ban in the dangerous inland waters around Haida Gwaii known as Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. My proposed legislation formalizes the long-term moratorium on oil tanker traffic in this area, first established by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government in 1972, and respected by successive governments, until recently.

My bill responds to the clear voices of British Columbians, eight out of ten of whom support a tanker ban on B.C.'s north coast. First Nations, municipalities and thousands of businesses whose jobs and growth depend on a healthy ocean and coastal ecosystem are united in their call for a permanent ban. They believe that the devastation caused by a major oil spill in B.C.'s northern coastal waters is simply not worth the risk.

Bill C-606 seeks to legally protect B.C.'s north coast - acknowledging that Canadians want communities and wildlife protected and prosperity. I believe that this can be achieved by making informed choices about where and how development takes place.

To support my bill please fill out the online form

http://joycemurray.ca/support-c606/

Thank you!

Joyce Murray, MP
Vancouver Quadra