Trudeau hasn’t done enough: Notley
PM must show ‘clearer leadership’ with B.C. on pipelines, premier says
Alberta’s premier is demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau step in to ensure the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion goes ahead, calling on him to lambaste British Columbia for stalling the project. “He needs to show greater and clearer leadership on this,” Rachel Notley told a Thursday news conference. “We need the full weight of the federal government ... behind the laws of the land.” The B.C. government said Tuesday it will place restrictions on bitumen shipment increases from Alberta, citing the need for more spill response studies. Notley called the move unconstitutional and illegal, suggesting B.C. is overreaching in order to delay Kinder Morgan’s project, which would carry oil to the West Coast from Alberta. Trudeau was in Edmonton on Thursday and reiterated his support for the project during radio interviews and at a town hall at MacEwan University. “It goes to the heart of how we grow the economy and protect the environment together,” he said at the town hall in response to a question about the delayed pipeline. A handful of people in the crowd displayed signs that read “Albertans against Kinder Morgan” and “No jobs on a dead planet.” Trudeau said the pipeline expansion is in Canada’s national interest, and the federal government is responsible for determining that. But Trudeau hasn’t done enough, Notley said earlier.
“We need (Trudeau) to assert very clearly that there is one government in the country that gets to make a decision about what goes into pipelines that cross borders,” she said. “That government is the federal government.” Notley held an emergency cabinet meeting Wednesday to plan potential trade actions against B.C. She announced Thursday that Alberta has suspended talks to purchase electricity from B.C., but clarified the move doesn’t relate to the controversial Site C hydroelectric project. “Had these discussions been completed ... (it) would have contributed up to $500 million per year to British Columbia,” Notley said, adding that Alberta is prepared to do “whatever it takes” to get the pipeline expansion built. B.C. formerly made about $125 million annually on interprovincial electricity interties with Alberta, but that revenue has decreased in the last five years, Notley said. The provincial governments were exploring ways to increase Alberta’s access to B.C. power. Government officials projected B.C. could have earned between $200 million and $500 million per year, she said. “It’s a range ... it depends a great deal on what electricity prices are.” B.C. Premier John Horgan said he was caught off guard by Alberta’s reaction to the proposal of a scientific panel to study oil spills. “I don’t think that’s unreasonable and I’m surprised at the response we’re getting from Alberta,” he told reporters Thursday, adding the government is creating a document for public consultation. “We’ve not put in place anything at this time.” When asked about potential trade retaliations, Horgan responded that “sabre rattling doesn’t get you very far.” Alberta’s official Opposition leader said Wednesday he’s been urging action for months and that the B.C. proposal is a serious threat. United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney proposed reducing contracts with B.C. Hydro and refusing permits to ship oil through the current Kinder Morgan pipeline. “Another day of flailing around by the Alberta NDP on the B.C. NDP’s threat to block our major export,” Kenney tweeted Thursday. Notley argued retaliatory measures to limit B.C.’s access to Alberta crude may bump up consumer prices in B.C., but Albertans would also pay a price. “It would also result in pretty significant losses for companies or producers based here in Alberta,” she said. New Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe defended Alberta in an online statement Wednesday. “The B.C. NDP are playing politics at the risk of thousands of Canadian jobs, future infrastructure projects as well as investor confidence in our energy industry,” he said, adding that the B.C. government is using the guise of environmental protection to restrict the transportation of goods. “There are stringent regulatory processes and requirements for pipelines ... the proposed pipelines can be constructed and operated in a manner that protects the environment and public health and safety,” he said. Notley said her government will look for ways to help Albertans who want to boycott B.C. businesses. “There’s no question that Albertans are pretty united on this issue,” she said. “I’m not surprised to see that Albertans are trying to find ways that they can express their opinions about this.” She also noted that a legal strategy is in the works — “rest assured we have our officials working on that very rigorously right now.” But Horgan was unfazed by legal threats, saying there is nothing for Notley to take to court. The two premiers spoke Wednesday when Notley reaffirmed Alberta’s stance, she said. Trudeau and Notley had a phone conversation Thursday for about 30 minutes, she said. Notley said she has ongoing communications with Kinder Morgan.