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Notley says B.C. ‘grasping at straws’ with move to limit bitumen shipments

Jan 30, 2018 | 3:26 PM

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is slamming British Columbia’s proposal to restrict diluted bitumen ships.

She says it would be illegal and would endanger jobs and the economy.

She accuses the B.C. government of playing political games that endanger economic prosperity.

Kinder Morgan, the company behind the Trans Mountain expansion project, says its plan to ship more diluted bitumen to B-C has already been approved by the federal government and thoroughly studied. 

Premier Notley’s full statement reads as follows:

“Having run out of tools in the toolbox, the Government of British Columbia is now grasping at straws.   

“The B.C. government has every right to consult on whatever it pleases with its citizens. It does not have the right to rewrite our Constitution and assume powers for itself that it does not have. If it did, our Confederation would be meaningless.

“Therefore, the action announced today by the B.C. government can only be seen for what it is: political game-playing. But it’s a game that could have serious consequences for the jobs and livelihoods of millions of Canadians who count on their governments to behave rationally and within their scope of authority.

“Rash actions like these send a message to the world that in B.C. and in Canada the rules are not what they might seem, and therefore jeopardize investment decisions and hundreds of thousands of jobs across of range of important industries.

“When I talk about investor confidence, I’m not only speaking about oil and gas development. I’m also talking about all cases where investors engage with lawmakers.

“Job creators need to be able to trust lawmakers. Today’s announcement suggests that in B.C. they cannot.

“British Columbians – indeed all Canadians – deserve better.”