Wall urges Ottawa to use ‘points of leverage’ to pressure B.C. on Trans Mountain pipeline

Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has voiced his opinion once again on the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Wall said more can be done by the federal Liberal government to ensure the pipeline expansion gets built.

“I think there are points of leverage the federal government has that they’re not using,” Wall said on the weekend. “It’s around transfers, it’s around infrastructure money and if they’re serious about building Trans Mountain, they ought to be using all those points of leverage.”

“You (the federal government) were willing to use it against Saskatchewan in favour of the carbon tax, how about you use it against B.C. for a pipeline that you approved.”

Wall was referring to the $62 million in funding over five years Saskatchewan was denied for not signing the Pan-Canadian climate framework.

The province has argued that if it signed the agreement, it would be agreeing to putting a price on carbon. The Saskatchewan government has filed a reference case to its Court of Appeal, asking it to determine if the federal carbon tax is constitutional.

Wall made his comments while attending the founding convention of Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) in Red Deer, Alta.

Alberta and B.C. have locked horns over the project which would triple the amount of oil the people transports to B.C.

Late last month, B.C. filed a reference case to its Court of Appeal asking if it can pass legislation that would regulate the flow of oil its province.

Ottawa, which has approved the project, said it will intervene in the case.

Alberta has tabled legislation that would give the province’s energy minister the power to restrict the flow of oil, gasoline and natural gas to B.C.

Saskatchewan has tabled similar legislation, with Premier Scott Moe stating his province will only take action to restrict the flow of oil and gas if Alberta does it first.

Kinder Morgan announced at the beginning of April it is reducing its spending on the $7.4-billion project and gave the federal government until May 31 to give a clear signal the project will proceed.

A recent Ipsos poll commissioned by Global News found a majority of Canadians support the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

While most of the opposition to the pipeline expansion has come from B.C., the poll found 55 per cent of British Columbian respondents support it, with 37 per cent of them opposing it.

-With files from Global News