Ottawa not ruling out appeal in pipeline case
The federal government is keeping all its options open in its bid to build the troubled Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, including an appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge last week’s surprising Federal Court of Appeal decision.
“All options are on the table at this time,” Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said, when asked whether the government plans take the issue to the Supreme Court or introduce emergency legislation to bypass the ruling.
Ottawa has been reviewing last week’s unexpected ruling that overturned approvals for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to B.C., stating that the National Energy Board failed to include a review of the impact of oil tanker traffic on marine life along the West Coast, and that the federal government failed to meaningfully consult with Indigenous groups.
The next steps for the project would be announced in the coming days, Sohi said but declined to say when.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is also in Edmonton to meet Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, said the government aims to advance the project in a way that won’t lead Ottawa back to the courts.
“Using a legislative trick might be satisfying in the short term, but it would set up fights and uncertainty for investors over the coming years on any other project, because you can’t have a government keep invoking those sorts of things on every given project,” Trudeau said Wednesday, ahead of a meeting with Notley, who has demanded an immediate appeal to the Supreme Court.
“We would like to see shovels in the ground as quickly as possible. This is a priority for Alberta and it’s a priority for the country,” he said, adding “we need to make sure it’s done right.”