PRESS PM TO ACTION
B.C. Premier John Horgan’s insistence the Trans Mountain pipeline be put to further review has been widely condemned. The pipeline expansion has been fully vetted by the National Energy Board and has been approved by the federal Liberal government, and by his predecessor, Christy Clark.
Horgan’s stalling tactics prompted Premier Rachel Notley to boycott B.C. wines, which while controversial, demonstrated Alberta’s frustration with a transparent attempt to thwart the project. Now, Notley has announced a task force that is supposed to defend the province from B.C.’s “unconstitutional attack” on getting Canadian oil to tidewater, where it can fetch a higher price than the United States is prepared to pay.
Notley has commissioned former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna and others to provide the government with advice on how to advance pipeline projects. No doubt Notley thinks the assembling of such a group signals action on the part of the government, but she’s mistaken. It’s unfortunate that her response to Horgan’s demand for further study is to herself call for further consideration. It’s a case of duelling reviews that does nothing to get the pipeline expansion underway.
Establishing study groups and commissions is the hallmark of politicians who lack the resolve to make decisions, or simply want to buy themselves some time.
The expansion of the pipeline falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers have stated they continue to support the project, evidence of their commitment leaves a lot to be desired.
Instead of putting together a wishy-washy body tasked with advancing pipelines, Notley should convene the legislature for an emergency session. That’s the advice of United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, and he makes a lot sense.
“The power to fix this lies with Justin Trudeau. We need to make a stink,” Kenney told Postmedia columnist Rick Bell. “I’ll tell you what a Quebec premier would be doing right now. They’d be calling an urgent session of the National Assembly, like tomorrow.”
Kenney is right. There’s no telling what it will take to get Ottawa to exercise its powers to ensure the pipeline expansion proceeds, but it’s not likely a handful of former politicians will come up with the answer. A unanimous motion by the legislature calling on the federal government to use its constitutional powers would be much more effective and much more timely.
Quite simply, Ottawa needs to act now for the good of all Canadians.