In case anyone has forgotten what Bill 12 is, last year in May, then Alberta Premier Rachel Notley told a news conference her government was expected to pass Bill 12, entitled Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act. The bill gives the Alberta government the ability to retaliate against the B.C. government for any delays to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, including driving up gas prices and restricting exports to the province that would include gasoline, oil, diesel, and natural gas.
Today, Premier Jason Kenney insisted that the new law, enacted on Tuesday when he was sworn in as Alberta’s new Premier, will only be used against B.C. as a measure of last resort if the province continues to obstruct the completion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Extension, according to CBC Canada.
Kenney urged B.C. Premier John Horgan to “get out of the way,” adding that the current pipeline backlog is hurting the people of British Columbia.
“The B.C. government is doing everything it can to block the expansion of the very pipeline that would get Alberta oil and gas to the gasoline-constrained lower mainland and beyond,” Kenney said. “This hurts ordinary families in British Columbia, this hurts Alberta. What Premier Horgan must know is that Albertans are absolutely united behind this pipeline. As premier, I will stand with Albertans and we will stand up for Alberta.”
As for what actions by British Columbia or other provinces that might do that would provoke Alberta into using its “cut off the taps law,” Kenney had this to say: “When you’re in a game of poker, you don’t show the other folks around the table what your high card is,” he said.
“It is my job as premier to defend Alberta, to preserve the value of our resources and to stand up for our workers. Our government wants to co-operate with B.C…. But we will never be afraid to stand up for Alberta when we must.”May 1, 2019
The Trans Mountain Pipeline carries crude oil from Alberta’s oil sands to the British Columbia coast. The pipeline expansion would triple capacity to 890,000 barrels per day. However, the expansion project has been hit with numerous delays – including court challenges and rulings brought on by environmentalists and the B.C. government.
In August 2018, the federal bought the Trans Mountain Extension from Kinder Morgan Canada for $4.5 billion to ensure it gets built. Now, Ottawa has until June 18 to make a decision on whether pushing forward with the expansion is in the public interest, reports Reuters.
