Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi praised the federal government’s decision to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline, but didn’t hesitate to put the B.C. government on the hook for the price tag.
At a media availability on Tuesday, Nenshi said he was “very, very, very pleased with this turn of events.”
“That said, it is a shame that we’ve come to this and I think it’s worth us remembering that it’s entirely due to the actions of Premier (John) Horgan and the Government of British Columbia,” he said.
“Because of their antics, because of their stalling tactics, because of their fighting a battle they know they can’t win in the courts, they’ve cost every taxpayer in this country $4.5 billion and I’m sure that’s difficult to wake up to every day.”
The contentious project faced delay after delay as Horgan’s government fought the expansion on the basis that there wasn’t enough of a guarantee that a potential oil spill could be managed.
WATCH: Political pundits weigh in on the now government owned Trans Mountain pipeline.
Kinder Morgan had set a May 31 deadline for receiving assurances the project would be able to proceed in order for the company to continue planning and construction. The federal government, which remained adamant that the pipeline would be built, stepped in to offer to buy the project before the deadline came.
“It’s a matter of getting this through, getting the jobs going, getting the construction going and then taking your money out of a profitable enterprise,” Nenshi said. “It’s not what I prefer government to be doing, but it’s the right thing to do.”
WATCH: If the federal government owns the Trans Mountain pipeline project, who is legally liable if there were to be a spill? Alberta Premier Rachel Notley weighs in on the potential risk.
Nenshi said the move will be a positive one for the Calgary and Alberta as it’s expected to create about 2,500 jobs. He said the Trans Mountain pipeline, combined with the Keystone XL pipeline, will bring about $15 billion in capital investment, which he said is about the amount the province lost at the start of the economic downturn in 2015.
“I don’t anticipate that the jobs will come back in exactly the same way,” Nenshi said. “It’s a very, very positive move for the city of Calgary and for confidence that we can get big projects done here.”
WATCH: Twitter Canada has released data on the mentions, retweets and reach when it comes to the Trans Mountain pipeline debate on the social media platform.
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce also praised the decision, calling it “demonstrably positive” for the city and the whole country.
“It is never our preference to see a government get involved in private enterprise,” said chamber president and CEO Sandip Lalli. “However, Canada is at a point where this became a necessary step to ensure that a project deemed in the national interest moved forward.”
WATCH: Albertans’ reaction to Trans Mountain purchase mixed.
When asked about opponents of the pipeline that may still protest the expansion, Nenshi pointed to the recent Angus Reid Institute poll which showed support increasing among British Columbians.
He also said he has one question for political opponents speaking out against the Liberals’ decision: “What would you have done?”
“Buying the pipeline, putting real taxpayer money on the table, allowing the RCMP to throw Elizabeth May in jail, you know, what else are you going to do?” he said.
“I actually have to say that I’m as big a critic of other governments as anybody, but in this case, today I am very, very pleased that the government did the right thing.”
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