The Alberta government announced Friday that a task force had been established, to respond to the province’s western neighbours’ “unconstitutional attack” last week.
Back on January 30, the B.C. government announced what it called a second phase of regulations to protect the environment against spills – one of the points was to restrict increases in bitumen transport until the “behaviour of spilled bitumen can be better understood.”
The announcement was quickly condemned by Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, who called it “political game-playing” – in the following days, the province responded by suspending electricity purchase talks with B.C., and later halting imports of B.C. wine into Alberta.
Notley called on Ottawa to step in Friday.
“This is not a fight between Alberta and B.C. This is B.C. trying to usurp the authority of the federal government and undermine the basis of our Confederation,” Notley said in a statement. “Ottawa needs to say clearly and unequivocally that B.C.’s actions won’t stand.”
On Friday, the province said the task force would work with business, labour and community leaders to advise the province on their next responses to B.C.
The task force is made up of: former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan, former Syncrude Canada president Jim Carter and legal scholar Peter Hogg.
“In response to British Columbia’s unconstitutional attack on our energy industry and the Canadian economy, Alberta is preparing retaliatory measures,” Notley said in a statement. “The new task force is made up of leaders with deep connections throughout the country and expertise on these matters. It will help ensure Alberta’s response gets Ottawa’s and B.C.’s attention.”
