Liberal cabinet retreat draws pipeline defenders and protesters

The federal environment minister says B.C.'s intense forest fire season is another indication of climate change, but she not backing down on the federal government's decision to buy andtriple the capacityof the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Minister Catherine McKenna, who is in Nanaimo for a federal Liberal cabinet retreat,says all provinces need to work together on a climate plan, and the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion is part of that plan.

• Trudeau's cabinet kicks off 2-day retreat focused on trade, wildfire response

"In terms of the Trans Mountain pipeline, we know we are in a transition. Transitions do not happen overnight. We are working really hard with provinces across the country, and weneed to do this together," McKenna said Tuesday.

"I have always said I am the environment minister for energy workers as well as environmentalists."

Earlier in the morning, B.C. Premier JohnHorgantold reporters at the retreat that he had spoken with Prime Minister Trudeau aboutthe federal decision to buy the Trans Mountain Pipeline, but called the issue"one irritantwithin a relationships that I believe is relatively positive."

Horgansaid there are no negotiations underway with the feds to resolve the dispute, and the B.C. government remains committed to its legal action.

"We await the outcome of court cases that were begun prior to our swearing in, and we are also developing a reference case destined at some point to the Supreme Court, starting with the B.C. Court of Appeal to ensure that we have the jurisdictional ability to protect our coast," saidHorgan.

Battleground B.C.

Meanwhile, several hundred pot-banging, whistle-blowing pipeline protesters gathered outside the Vancouver Island Conference Centre where Trudeau and his ministers were holed up.

They questioned how Trudeau can claim to be concerned about climate change when his government is paying $4.5 billion to Kinder Morgan to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline and ensure it's expanded to carry Alberta oil to B.C.'s coast.

"Climate Leaders Don't Buy Pipelines," proclaimed one banner brandished by protesters.

"Inhale Justin, that's the smell of global warming," said another.

Multiple protesters carried signs accusing the prime minister of fiddling "while B.C. burns."

New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson, who represents Nanaimo-Ladysmith, told the protesters that the Liberal determination to get the pipeline built is "a betrayal of everything Trudeau campaigned for."

For all the noise outside the cabinet retreat, Liberal insiders say their party's internal polling suggests British Columbians are divided over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

They also say their polling suggests that all seven ridings on Vancouver Island six currently held by the NDP, one by Green party Leader Elizabeth May could be up for grabs in next year's federal election.

With files from Rhianna Schmunk and The Canadian Press

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