The premier of British Columbia announced Thursday that his government will ask the courts if it has the right to protect the province’s environment, by restricting the transport of diluted bitumen in the Trans Mountain pipeline. As a result, Alberta’s premier announced retaliatory measures made in response will be suspended.
On Thursday, B.C. Premier John Horgan announced his government is filing a constitutional reference case on the issue – called ‘Point 5’, which is at the centre of a heated dispute between Alberta and its western neighbour since it was proposed at the end of January.
“This is not about politics, this is not about trade,” Horgan said. “It’s about the right of British Columbians to be heard, tis about the right of British Columbians to have a government that will stand up for its interests.”
Alberta’s government responded by suspending electricity talks, halting imports of B.C. wine, forming a task force and launching an online campaign against the proposal.
After Horgan’s announcement in Victoria, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced her government was suspending retaliatory measures – including the ban on imports of B.C. wine.
“Let me be clear, B.C. never had the right to begin with,” Notley said Thursday. “It was an unprovoked attack on Alberta’s economy in a rather transparent attempt to harass investors.”
Horgan said the federal government declined an invitation to join the province in the reference question.
As for the rest of the proposals, B.C. is moving forward with consultations on the four other points, including establishing timeframes for responses to spills and requiring some form of restitution to cover the use of public resources in the event of a spill.
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Matthew Woodman and The Canadian Press
