KAMLOOPS - New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix shut the door almost entirely Monday on a proposed twinning of the Kinder Morgan pipeline from Alberta into Burnaby, saying an NDP government would not support a major increase of tanker traffic in and out of Metro Vancouver.

"We do not expect Vancouver to become a major oil-export port, as appears to be suggested in what Kinder Morgan is suggesting to the province and to the country," Dix said, in his strongest comments on the project so far.

"I don't see that transformation as being the right approach for our economy or our port."

Dix would not definitively rule out a twinning of the proposed TransMountain pipeline, saying Kinder Morgan has yet to submit a formal proposal. But he made clear the province under his leadership would strongly resist the idea.

"It seems to me that increasing from 80,000 barrels a day to 450,000 barrels a day (exported from Metro Vancouver in tankers) is a massive change in the nature of that operation," he said.

"That's a real problem."

The comments follow a long-standing commitment by Dix to wait until after Kinder Morgan submits a formal proposal before making any pronouncements.

To emphasize the strengthening of his position, the NDP on Monday launched a television ad where Dix pushes the pipeline issue.

"British Columbians are not willing to trade our coast and wilderness for an oil pipeline and risky oil tanker traffic," he says in the ad.

"Some things are too valuable to sell."

Environment Minister Terry Lake — whose riding Dix was in on Monday — was immediately critical of the NDP announcement.

"They seem to go whichever way the wind is blowing. What's the public debate? And then they make decisions based on that rather than having a full and thorough process," he said.

"They're against pipelines, they're against mines, they're against clean energy they're against Site C, they want a moratorium on fracking," he added.

"They're all over the map. It really is inconsistent, and I think that really will send chills down the spines of investors that are looking at British Columbia who want some certainty."

The B.C. Liberals have said they will subject the Kinder Morgan project to the same five conditions they are using to judge the proposed Enbridge pipeline.

Environmental groups were quick to celebrate the NDP announcement Monday, including noted environmentalist Tzeporah Berman, who in 2009 tore up her NDP membership card because of the party's promise in that election to cancel the carbon tax.

"I am going to be supporting Adrian Dix and the B.C. NDP in this election. I'm going to be volunteering for David Eby in my riding," she said in an interview Monday, applauding the party's position on both Kinder Morgan and Enbridge.

"In contrast, the B.C. Liberals under Christy Clark have mismanaged the climate file," she said

Eric Swanson, campaign director with the Dogwood Initiative, said those in his organization "applaud the NDP for standing up for the interests of British Columbians,"