On Friday afternoon, a time government frequently "takes out the garbage" - releases bad news, Premier Campbell chaired another staged cabinet meeting. The two hour meeting included a presentation by Minister of Energy and Mines, Richard Neufeld, who announced that new legislation will be drafted to weaken environmental protection. Of course, he didn't phrase it that way. Neufeld spoke about new legislation "to govern the activities of the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, making it truly a single-window agency". Most people think the Commission already is a "single-window agency", so what will change? Answer: environmental regulation and protection!

Neufeld reported that "An audit of oil and gas industry regulatory compliance has been conducted annually from 2001 onward, and industry compliance with major provincial regulations has improved from 79 percent in 2001 to 86 percent to date in 2003." Based on 14% of the industry not complying with provincial regulations in 2003, Neufeld wants to streamline regulation so as to get those irritating environmental regulations out of the way.

Environmental safeguards are particularly important in the development of coal bed methane - one of Neufeld's favorite projects. He reported "For instance, on coal bed methane, we would do some studies on air and water prior to any drilling so that we have some baseline studies to work from. That makes good environmental sense. We visited the U.S. to find out where coal bed methane started and some of the mistakes they made. We think we have some of the best regulations in place to develop that industry in a safe, efficient manner for all British Columbians." "Mistakes" is an understatement; streams and farmland have been destroyed in the U.S. as waste water from wells was dumped into what were formerly fish bearing, potable waters.

The Campbell cabinet has been accused of rehearsing before they perform before the TV cameras in one of their staged meetings. Friday's show couldn't have been better rehearsed as shown by the following exchange where the Minister who should protect the environment, Joyce Murray, delivered the slow pitch so Neufeld could announce how her responsibility would be taken away:

Hon. J. Murray: "Dick, can you describe a bit more what you mean by the changes to the Oil and Gas Commission to develop regulatory best practices? That's somewhat what that organization is intended to do now - be a one-window approach for industry. What changes are you contemplating?"

Hon. R. Neufeld: "It is probably one of the…. Well, it is the only, best one-window approach we have in the province of British Columbia. What we want to do is expand that so that the Oil and Gas Commission encompasses all the people that are needed to look from the environment to the geology to the development - how we do that over the long term and how we affect the land base, regardless of where the drilling would take place. Right now, most of it is in northeastern British Columbia."

"So there are some things…. As you mentioned to me earlier, the Oil and Gas Commission utilizes some of your people in Victoria more than maybe they should. What we want to do is make sure it's a single-window agency so that it's funded correctly by industry and so that we can have those people that are needed to look after those issues."

No one at the staged cabinet meeting asked about the principle of separation of powers, or as it is sometimes put, "how can the fox guard the henhouse?" The most generous interpretation that can be given to Neufeld's reply to Murray is that budget cuts have so hindered her ministry's ability to do its job that economic development projects are being delayed. In the Campbell government there is no Minister of the Environment who will fight for the environment or for the resources necessary to protect it. Legislation that is being developed to shift responsibility for environmental protection to the Oil and Gas Commission will be hazardous.