Smith warns Ottawa: approve pipeline or Alberta turns south

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a stark warning to Ottawa: approve a West Coast pipeline or risk the unity of Canada, hinting that Alberta might pivot its energy focus southward.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a stark warning to Ottawa: approve a West Coast pipeline or risk the unity of Canada, hinting that Alberta might pivot its energy focus southward to the United States if cooperation falters.

“Albertans are questioning whether Canada works,” Smith told CTV’s Vassy Kapelos. “I suppose I could just go down to the United States and start working with American counterparts to see if we can build more pipelines. They’ve expressed interest in restarting the Keystone XL, and I suppose we could maybe sell another 2 million barrels a day additional to the United States.”

Her comments came after days of public sparring with British Columbia Premier David Eby, who has dismissed Alberta’s proposal as “non-existent.”

Eby claimed the project “has no private proponent, no route, no private funding, and would cost taxpayers billions.”

Despite Eby’s repeated claims, the Alberta government and its energy officials have been upfront from the moment the project was announced, ensuring that taxpayers would not be on the hook for construction or ownership costs. The Alberta government is investing $14 million in early planning for the project, hoping it will be approved by the Federal Major Projects Office and appear on the second wave of major projects announced by the Grey Cup in November.

Smith labelled Eby’s stance as “un-Canadian and unconstitutional.”

Smith defended that description in the interview, saying the courts have already determined that interprovincial infrastructure and ports are matters of federal jurisdiction.

“It has been determined by the courts that trade, commerce, and inter-provincial infrastructure are federal issues,” she said. “We can’t have a single parochial province blocking the aspirations of another. That’s not how we’re supposed to function as a country.”

Smith said her language was a response to Eby’s “video” — the same clip that drew national attention last week — and argued that he “stepped over the line.” She repeatedly urged Kapelos to watch the video.

“I know he’s been ratioed quite badly on his video, which is a suggestion to me that he’s not expressing the views of British Columbians,” she added.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Eby’s video has twice as many comments as likes.

Smith also pointed to polling that showed 75 per cent of Canadians want to see a new pipeline built.

“He’s actively trying to block our ability to access the coast,” said Smith. “We have international law that says one nation is not allowed to block another. It’s absurd that we would have one province blocking access to another.”

Smith said she hoped Eby “dials his rhetoric back.”

Either way, she clarified that it’s not Eby’s decision on whether a pipeline gets approved.

“This is a decision for the Prime Minister. And the courts have affirmed that as well… He can maybe express his view all he wants, but he’s not the ultimate decision maker,” she said.

Smith said her government and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office are working toward what she called a “grand bargain” expected by the Grey Cup in mid-November.

She clarified that she was working with the Liberals towards making that happen.

As for the expected “grand bargain,” Smith explained that it would be a trifecta.

Working towards revising or repealing nine laws that her government says are standing in the way of prosperity, moving forward on the pathways project, and the West Coast pipeline are the three things she hopes to be announced by the Grey Cup.

The premier emphasized that the proposal is a test of federal leadership and national cooperation.

“If we can’t build cross-border infrastructure and we can’t get our products to market, then we’re violating what it is that the founders came together to build Canada in the first place,” said Smith. “Let’s go back to the idea of what Canada is supposed to be. Let’s get these kinds of projects built. Let’s find new markets. Let’s work together on that.”

Smith said she is currently travelling the country to figure out how to get these products to market.

“We have to have hard conversations about the things we need to build, and if that doesn’t work, then I guess I’ll have to work with the United States,” she said. “But that then is a failure in my opinion… The whole reason why we’ve had this recalibration in Canada in the last eight months is because people are nervous that we are too reliant on the United States. So, changing that so that we become even more reliant on the United States seems to be a failure.”