Notley reiterated her stance that the province will do whatever it takes to have the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion move forward.
In Edmonton Monday, Premier Rachel Notley said Alberta would consider becoming a financier of the pipeline if Kinder Morgan investors begin to back away.
"If we have to, Alberta is prepared to do whatever it takes to get this pipeline built," Notley said in a cabinet meeting, April 9. "Alberta is prepared to be an investor."
Notley also called on the federal government to act in defence of Alberta and the working people of western Canada in a way that they have for other parts of the country over the years.
“During the auto-crisis Ottawa intervened to help workers in Ontario, when airspace needed a bail out they stepped up for workers in Quebec, and now the energy industry and workers in western Canada need Ottawa to step up,” Notley stated. “After all the federal approval of a project must be worth more than the paper it’s written on.”
On Sunday Kinder Morgan Canada suspended all non-essential spending on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion as a response to the mounting opposition from British Columbia.
The company based its decision on the need to protect its shareholders in the face of the legal challenges put forward by the B.C. government.
The company said it will consult with stakeholders to try and reach an agreement, setting a deadline of May 31 that might allow the project to proceed.
The B.C. Premier John Horgan said he spoke to Trudeau and planned to speak to Notley, but his position on the pipeline hasn't changed.
Trudeau has maintained that it is possible to balance the interests of both the economy and the environment while moving forward in pipeline's expansion
“The environment and the economy go together.” Trudeau stated at an announcement in Montreal. “It's something we have always understood and that Canadians understand as well…We're going to stand up for the federal jurisdiction federal right to determine projects in the national interest and get them built.”
