OTTAWA – Despite a truce being called in the trade war between Alberta and British Columbia over Kinder Morgan, Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver says his province isn't backing down from the bigger fight to stop the pipeline from being built.
"You can bet that British Columbia will not stop the fight over this," Weaver told CTV Question Period host Evan Solomon.
On Thursday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley suspended the province’s ban on B.C. wine after B.C. Premier John Horgan announced his government would file a constitutional reference on the issue and not move ahead with reviewing limits on diluted bitumen shipments.
The B.C. NDP and Green Party coalition are in strong opposition to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain expansion between Edmonton, Alta. and Burnaby, B.C.
Earlier this week, Horgan said his decision was about confirming B.C.’s right to protect the province’s interests, while Notley characterized it as the rival NDP province blinking.
Though, Weaver said it’s not B.C. backing down at all, rather it was an effort to deescalate the "irresponsible and reckless behaviour" of Notley.
"Rather than argue about it in the media, it’s going to the courts," Weaver said, adding that according to their legal advice, B.C. is within their right to push back on the pipeline, despite it being approved by the federal government.
The B.C. government plans on using every tool in their box to make sure it doesn't go ahead, Weaver said.
He also expects more protests to come as the fight wages on, citing recent public opinion polling that shows a number of British Columbians don’t want the project to go ahead.
"It doesn’t take a great deal of work for people to go there to the site and protest," he said.
In contrast, former B.C. premier and Liberal cabinet minister Ujjal Dosanjh said both provinces are acting irresponsibly when it comes to this energy project.
"There should be no threats. They should sit down and figure out how we’re going to try and get the Alberta bitumen out to the shore… or go to court," Dosanjh said on CTV’s Question Period.
With files from the Canadian Press
