When Federal NDP candidate Nathan Cullen showed up at the Prince Rupert City Council Committee Meeting of the Whole Tuesday evening, Mayor Jack Mussallem immediately asked if he would answer some questions from City Council.
Cullen was there because environmental activist Jennifer Rice had invited him to hear her present concerns to council about Enbridge Northern Gateway’s platinum sponsorship of the upcoming North Central Local Government Association’s conference taking place in Prince Rupert May 11 – 13.
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne opened the discussion with Cullen by asking how equipped he is to take forward the City’s strategic priorities to the federal government, given this is a time of election and of particular opportunity for Prince Rupert’s voice to be heard.
“I’m specifically thinking of things like the port and the Tsimshian Access Project. I wonder how you are feeling about that and if there’s anything else we can provide you with?” asked Gordon-Payne.
In addition, said the mayor, the rail and utility corridor to Ridley Island, and the development of Watson Island, are the city’s top priorities.
Cullen told council he and other MPs had discussions with the federal government proposing that the quickest and best way to move money into the economy is through the gas tax.
Adding a penny or two to the funds that come to the cities from the federal government would put the decision making process closer to the people, rather than setting up another bureaucracy within the government, he explained.
“The government resisted that as a policy, I think for a couple of reasons. It’s harder to take credit, if it’s the City that makes the decision. If this City had received a couple of million dollars back, which you could leverage with your own money and provincial money, to do any of those three projects that you’ve talked about, then that would have been your choice, and harder for a federal minister to show up and cut a ribbon for,” Cullen said.
According to Cullen, one of the greatest barriers for the City of Prince Rupert growing stronger is the access to the airport and access to the communities of Metlakatla and Lax Kw’alaams and the ability to benefit from what the coast has to offer.
“It shouldn’t be a hassle for people to come here anymore than it is already,” he said.
Switching topics, Mayor Mussallem reiterated the community’s concern around the pending removal of the Coast Guard vessel Point Henry and replacing it with a 47ft lifeboat, and asked if there’s been any reconsideration or update.
“The public campaign that was initiated out of Prince Rupert had ripple effects all down the coast and onto Vancouver Island,” Cullen said, adding that he presented the 1,100 signature-petition from the North Coast to parliament.
The petition caught people’s attention and resulted in Cullen meeting with the Commissionaire of the Coast Guard. At the meeting he heard the Coast Guard’s hope is to harmonize the fleet and that it’s a done deal.
“It’s about saving money. The Commissionaire was upfront about that. He didn’t want us to have any delusions,” said Cullen.
“But we’re still fighting back and trying to make it part of the federal election
campaign.”
The discussion closed with a suggestion from Gordon-Payne that council and Cullen work more closely if he is re-elected. She told Cullen she would like him to map out a plan to work with communities in the region to help further develop the Pacific Gateway corridor through the entire riding.
“Let’s create our own destiny because if we wait, what we’re clearly hearing tonight is that Ottawa will do things in isolation, and we can’t count on government to do it for us, we need to do it,” she said.