B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver says Alberta and Saskatchewan鈥檚 threats to cut off oil and gas to his province are just tough talk and nothing more.
鈥淭his is a lot of bluster -- a big lot of bluster -- and it鈥檚 just not helpful, to be blunt,鈥� B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver told CTV鈥檚 Question Period Host Evan Solomon in an interview that airs Sunday.
Following Alberta鈥檚 lead, Saskatchewan plans to table legislation next week that will allow the province to turn off its oil taps. Both moves are meant to serve as a sharp rebuke to British Columbia鈥檚 continued opposition to Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
鈥淚t鈥檚 outrageous, the approach they鈥檙e taking,鈥� Weaver added. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e talking about here in British Columbia is a duty for the government to actually look out for the interests of its citizens.鈥�
That interest, Weaver explained, is pre-emptively avoiding a spill as diluted bitumen travels via pipeline from Alberta to B.C.鈥檚 southern coast. If the federal government pushes ahead with the controversial project without B.C.鈥檚 consent, it would be stepping on the province鈥檚 jurisdiction and thus acting unconstitutionally, Weaver said -- and so too would Alberta and Saskatchewan if they enact oil ban bills.
鈥淎ny legislation that actually caused an increase in price of gasoline would be very clearly ruled unconstitutional,鈥� Weaver claimed. 鈥淧eople can huff and puff and try to blow houses down, they can introduce all the legislation that they want and say this and say that, but if they try to enact that legislation, the Attorney General in British Columbia has been very clear: we will sue.鈥�
Speaking on Question Period, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe vehemently rejected Weaver鈥檚 stance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bluff,鈥� Moe said. 鈥淎nd second of all, speaking of unconstitutional, they鈥檙e out of their realm. The whole approval of this pipeline, which is the catalyst of this conversation, is under the federal responsibility.鈥�
B.C., Moe added, has no jurisdiction to thwart a federally-approved project that would limit Canada鈥檚 landlocked provinces鈥� ability to export oil products.
鈥淲hat we want is the construction to start on this pipeline so that we can鈥� expand the value of our economy and expand our opportunities to contribute to this nation,鈥� he said.
By tabling its own so-called 鈥楾urn off the Taps鈥� legislation, Moe says Saskatchewan is sending the message that it 鈥渨on鈥檛 be here to fill up those fuel tanks鈥� in B.C. after Alberta鈥檚 proposed oil ban bill goes through.
鈥淭his is not legislation that we in any way want to use, but we feel that this is about the only tool that we have,鈥� Moe said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 like doing it, we don鈥檛 want to do it, but we will.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 no standing down,鈥� Weaver retorted. 鈥淲hat we have said all along as B.C. Greens is we are here to use the rule of the law to ensure that British Columbians are able to be protected from a potential spill -- not if, but when it occurs.鈥�
Watch Question Period Sunday mornings on CTV, CTV News Channel, CTVNews.ca, and CTV News GO at 11 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. CT, 9 a.m. MT and 8 a.m. PT
