Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced one way the province is responding to a proposal by the government of British Columbia that would impact the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, by taking immediate aim at imports of B.C. wine.
Notley said Tuesday that the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Control Board would stop importing B.C. wines.
“In 2017 that amounted to roughly 17.2 million bottles, or over 1.4 million cases,” Notley said. “That’s about $70 million per year, paid to B.C. wineries.”
Notley said the action would also include AGLC stepping up enforcement on direct-to-consumer sales.
“This is one good step to waking B.C. up to the fact that they can’t attack our industry without a response from us,” Notley said.
The announcement came days after Notley announced electricity purchase talks with the B.C. government would be suspended.
Last week, the B.C. government released what it called a second phase of regulations “to improve preparedness, response and recovery necessary to protect B.C.’s environment.”
At the time, the government said it would establish an independent advisory panel, that would make recommendations on if and how oil could be transported, and cleaned up if a spill were to happen.
As part of this second phase, the B.C. government said it was seeking feedback on five points, including restricting increases on the transportation of diluted bitumen, until “the behaviour of spilled bitumen can be better understood.”
Notley responded, calling the move “political game-playing,” and saying the B.C. government doesn’t “have the right to rewrite our constitution.”
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, by Kinder Morgan, was approved by the federal government in late November, 2016. The project has faced a number of challenges since it was approved.
