The B.C. government and environmentalists are chalking up a victory over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. They should be careful what they wish for.
On Sunday, Kinder Morgan announced it would put the brakes on the pipeline project, setting a May 31 deadline to decide whether to scrap it.
Premier John Horgan and his supporters see this as a successful defence of B.C.’s right to protect the coastal environment from the risks of a catastrophic spill if tanker traffic increased seven-fold.
But once the glow of triumph has worn off, what does it mean for the country?
The pipeline expansion went through the federal government’s approval process. And while many opponents say the process was deeply flawed, government approvals have to mean something if we are to get anything done in Canada.
Alberta has a product, but B.C. is saying: “You can’t sell it.”
Through a combination of work-site protests and provincial government obstacles, opponents have flouted the federal government’s constitutional authority.
The obstacles are being thrown up by the same B.C. government that is backing a $40-billion natural-gas project that also involves a pipeline and tanker port.
Notwithstanding the differences between gas and diluted bitumen, the hypocrisy is rank.
How will Alberta, which is acutely aware of B.C.’s fossil-fuel double standard, respond? Premier Rachel Notley has warned of retaliation that is likely to hurt British Columbians financially.
People on both sides of the debate could become collateral damage.
If “social licence” now means that one government or one collection of people has veto power over projects approved by other governments, any initiative could be scuttled. Horgan’s gas project and the Site C dam he has approved could just as easily fall victim.
The federal government must not yield. For the sake of the whole country, it must defend its authority.
