Sunday summit: Trudeau pledges money, new law to make Trans Mountain happen
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is putting taxpayer money where his government’s mouth is, promising to deploy both financial and legislative tools to ensure the disputed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion between Alberta and British Columbia is able to proceed.
At the same time, however, Trudeau — speaking after a rare Sunday meeting with the warring premiers from both provinces — concedes there is more his Liberal government is willing to do to protect the B.C. coastline from a possible oil spill.
Trudeau spoke at the end of a remarkable eight-hour stopover in the national capital, an unscheduled break from his overseas trip to accommodate the last-minute summit with B.C.’s John Horgan, who has staked his government’s survival on opposing the pipeline, and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, whose province’s economic health depends on it.
“The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is of vital strategic interest to Canada,” Trudeau said following the two-hour meeting. “It will be built.”