Jagmeet accuses Liberals of ‘driving a wedge’ between Alberta & B.C.

NDP leaders Jagmeet Singh sees the federal government’s attempts as “threats” to build the  Kinder Morgan pipeline as “driving a wedge” between two NDP provinces: Alberta and B.C..

Throughout the battle between Alberta and B.C. over the pipeline project recently put on hold by the Texas-based company, the federal government has argued that it is in the national interest.

After Kinder Morgan announced it was suspending all non-essential spending on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, citing British Columbia’s opposition, the federal government said it is looking at regulatory, legal, and financial options to see the pipeline built.

“These comments do not serve to unite. Instead, they are driving a wedge between Albertans and British Columbians,” Singh told reporters in the House of Commons foyer  citing the threat of “punitive and divisive sanctions” against B.C., such as halting provincial transfer payments.

Singh, who is opposed to the pipeline based on what he called “a sham” environmental review process, is instead calling on the federal Liberals to partner with British Columbia, First Nations, and Alberta to seek greater clarity from the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the question of jurisdiction.

Singh said he has been in continuous contact with both Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley and NDP B.C. Premier John Horgan over the last few days on this issue. “This would provide much-needed clarity to all involved,” he said. It is unclear whether this process would be able to be expedited through the courts fast enough to meet the pipeline company’s May 31 deadline for a resolution. But Singh argues it will be a lot quicker than having B.C. go it alone through the courts, as the province has suggested.