Did Trudeau make the right decision on the oil pipelines?

The Trudeau government gives the 'go ahead' to two controversial pipelines, and kills another. Opponents say they'll fight to the end to kill the first two. Did Trudeau get it right?

Every month, five massive tankers lumber through Vancouver harbour, carrying diluted bitumen from Alberta's oil sands piped through Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain line. The Texas-based company aims to triple the capacity of that pipeline and that would mean a lot more oil tankers in Vancouver. 

This week, Kinder Morgan got a step closer to it's $7 billion project thanks to Justin Trudeau. The federal government greenlighted two pipelines: the Trans Mountain line and Enbridge's Line 3. At the same time, the government drove the final nail into the coffin of the Northern Gateway project, and declared a moratorium on oil tanker traffic off B.C.'s northern coast.

It was a defining moment for Prime Minister Trudeau. He'd already laid the groundwork... bolstering marine safety on the West Coast and pushing a climate deal with the provinces that includes carbon pricing. Now, the prime minister says pipeline approval is in the national interest... that it balances his commitments to grow the economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Praise from Alberta was swift. Not so in BC, where "pipeline" is often a dirty word and social license is hard to come by. Local mayors objected fiercely... environmentalists and Indigenous groups promise civil disobediance and lawsuits... and this is bound to be an election issue in B.C. next year. 

Our question: Did Justin Trudeau make the right decision on the oil pipelines?