British Columbians looking for a premier with environmental credibility need to cross George Abbott off their list.

The B.C. Liberal leadership candidate has made it clear that the environment is not one of his priorities by advancing dirty and destructive policies, including:

• Opposing a moratorium on oil tankers off our fragile north coast

“I would not be among those calling for a moratorium on tanker traffic… I think it's both premature and probably unwarranted to take that step.” (The Tyee, 21 Jan. 2011)

• Refusing to stand up against the Enbridge tar sands pipeline

“Enbridge represents an opportunity to increase markets in the Asia Pacific.” (The Tyee, Jan. 21 2011)

• Promising to weaken the environmental assessment process for the Fish Lake mine – which was judged too environmentally destructive by the Harper conservatives

Abbott promised that when Taseko decides to proceed with a second mine proposal the company would have to submit to an “abbreviated assessment.”

“We don't put people through the process again if there is no substantive changes to the proposal.” (Williams Lake Tribune, Jan. 11, 2011)