Premier pans new round of pipeline talks

Premier Scott Moe is criticizing the federal government’s decision to restart consultations for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

The federal government has decided not to appeal a court decision that rejected approval for the controversial project. Instead, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will follow the “blueprint” laid out by the Federal Court of Appeal in August, which said Ottawa had not properly consulted with Indigenous Peoples because it listened without trying to accommodate concerns.

“The lack of any timeline for this new round of consultations is very concerning. It could take years, with no guarantee of a positive outcome,” Moe wrote on social media Wednesday in response.

He noted there is a “firm deadline” for other federal government initiatives, notably imposing a carbon tax and legalizing marijuana, but wrote, “building a pipeline crucial to the prosperity of Western Canada ... not so much.”

A new round will involve consultations with 117 Indigenous communities affected by the project, and twice the resources of the last consultation.

No hard deadline is being set, according to the federal government, because it could hinder the truly meaningful consultation required.

The Trans Mountain expansion would triple capacity of the existing pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C.

Moe’s opposition to the federal Niberal government’s Trans Mountain plan is the latest criticism directed at Ottawa from Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan continues to oppose a carbon tax. Moe gained yet another ally in that fight Wednesday when the Manitoba government rejected a carbon tax, announcing they will instead develop a “made in Manitoba” plan.

To this, Moe said online, “Great to see Manitoba join Saskatchewan and Ontario by killing their carbon tax and opposing the Trudeau carbon tax.

Provinces know best how to deal with climate change. It’s time the federal government let them do just that, and cancel their forced carbon tax.”