Trudeau’s youth council divided over Trans Mountain pipeline purchase
OTTAWA — Fissures have appeared inside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s youth council after a group of current and former members publicly urged the Liberal government to reverse its decision to buy Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline.
The request was made in a letter to the prime minister signed by 16 past and present members of the council and released to the public on Monday, in which signatories expressed “our immense disappointment” with the planned $4.5-billion pipeline purchase.
“The decision to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline project calls into question your commitment to young Canadians,” the letter reads, adding that youth will be “disproportionately affected” by climate change.
Yet the letter has generated surprise and frustration inside the council, with other members saying they do not agree with its position and at least one expressing concern that it became public.