Albertans rage over B.C.’s pipeline stance
Legislatures in Edmonton and Victoria are carrying on about the same issue, but there’s quite a difference in tone between them.
B.C.’s NDP government faces belligerent questions from the Opposition about the pipeline “fiasco” and portrays itself as bewildered about all the fuss this week over Kinder Morgan’s ultimatum. But Alberta’s legislature is almost united in condemning B.C.’s anti-pipeline stance, and its NDP government is determined to do something about it. There are differences about details, but they are all on the same page.
A sampling of remarks from the Alberta house gives a flavour of what B.C. is facing. Opposition Leader Jason Kenney opened this week by pushing Premier Rachel Notley to ask the federal government to withhold transfer payments to “the Horgan NDP in Victoria, until they begin to respect the rule of law and the Constitution of Canada.”
Notley said: “We’ve already made that request. … I believe it is under consideration. So that’s fine.” Pause to consider that brief exchange: An arch-conservative Opposition leader tells an NDP premier to advocate a federal shakedown of a neighbouring NDP government, and she says it’s already in the works. That would have been unthinkable a short while ago.
Kenney also urged her to invoke a Constitutional clause that would declare the Trans Mountain expansion a national interest. That formality would make it even more obviously a federal responsibility than it already is. Kenney said it could “override any delay tactics by the government of B.C.”
Notley said it’s one of many moves that’s under discussion with Ottawa.
“We’re going to continue to advocate that all of those tools be used, and that the [pipeline] work that is underway be accelerated.”
Kenney referred to the “enemies of our economic progress,” who have succeeded in suspending the pipeline construction. Notley reassured him B.C. would face significant consequences if work does not go forward. “We have clearly gotten their attention.” Elsewhere, sharp notice was taken of some internal B.C. energy moves. Premier John Horgan has offered to exempt LNG Canada from upcoming carbon tax hikes if it builds a gas plant in B.C., at the same time his government opposed the Trans Mountain pipeline on environmental grounds.
Alberta Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd said her government supports that plant as well, “But what we don’t support and will take action against is the environmental hypocrisy of B.C. speaking out of both sides of their mouth.”
The view from Edmonton is that B.C. wants to develop its energy resources and block Alberta from doing the same.
“It’s inconsistent and frankly, un-Canadian,” said the minister. “We’re going to be introducing legislation shortly which will inflict pain on B.C.”
A bill that would give the province full power to turn off the taps on westbound oil products will be up for debate next week.
Kinder Morgan on Sunday put the pipeline in sleep mode and demanded clarity from B.C. by May 31 on whether it’s a go. Alberta’s right-wing maverick Derek Fildebrandt said that decision is “a national disaster.” He said it was a disaster for economic and environmental stewardship, investor confidence, “but most importantly, it is a disaster for national unity.” “We are being treated as a mere colony.” There was also talk by other legislators of filling the existing line with diluted bitumen, rather than gasoline or diesel. Barring B.C. gas and coal at the border was broached, as were exhaustive safety checks of all trucks at the border.
Said Fildebrandt: “This is about our very ability to function as a normal, unified, First World country.”
There are no arguments from the government about the tone of any of those complaints. McCuaig-Boyd just reiterated that Alberta will soon be limiting resources shipped to B.C.
“They’ve made some decisions, and we’re going to inflict pain on those economic decisions so they understand what they’ve done.”
All the ideas pitched in Edmonton breach assorted trade deals and laws, of course, but the point is: That’s just what they think B.C. is conspiring to do.
There are two big court cases on issues related to the pipeline. Unless Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can work magic, it looks as if another over-arching decision from the highest court is what’s needed to settle this.