PM MUST PUSH AHEAD
A summit between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Rachel Notley and B.C. Premier John Horgan didn’t break the impasse over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Frankly, it would have been naive to imagine the B.C. premier would abandon his opposition to the project.
Horgan leads his province through the support of three Green party MLAs who vigorously object to Kinder Morgan’s plan to twin the existing pipeline between Alberta and Burnaby, B.C. If Horgan were to be reasonable, and admit he has no authority to stop a project in the national interest, he’d lose his shaky grip on power.
There is reason for optimism, however. Trudeau says his Liberal government will introduce legislation to ensure Trans Mountain is built. Along with Alberta, Ottawa will also explore financial supports that could persuade Kinder Morgan to proceed with construction after suspending unessential work because of the ongoing uncertainty created in British Columbia.
The company wants confidence the pipeline can proceed by May 31, or it may walk away. Trudeau estimates the inability to get Alberta’s oil to world markets costs the Canadian economy $15 billion a year — revenue that could go to funding health care, education, social services and other investments.
Trudeau must follow through on his promises as quickly as possible. It’s always been clear the federal government has jurisdiction over infrastructure such as pipelines, but if “exerting its constitutional authority” gets Horgan’s attention, then the measure is worthwhile.
It’s also useful to investigate what financial assurances could be made to provide Kinder Morgan with confidence the project will go ahead.
Putting public dollars at risk in such an arrangement is usually best avoided, but Horgan’s stunts, and those of other agitators on the West Coast, have created a crisis of their own making — a situation that impacts everyone.
The federal government could refer the matter to the Supreme Court, but a decision would likely be handed down after May 31, doing nothing to comfort Kinder Morgan.
Trudeau could cut off discretionary federal transfers to British Columbia to underscore his point. Alberta, after all, has introduced legislation empowering the NDP to restrict the flow of oil to B.C., which would cause gas prices to spike on the Lower Mainland.
These are measures of last resort, but Horgan must be made to understand that his obstructionism is undermining the Constitution, damaging the economy and jeopardizing Canada’s reputation as a safe place to invest.