Alberta wants to have its say when British Columbia goes to the Supreme Court for a ruling on who is in charge of interprovincial projects like pipelines.
The Alberta government says it has filed a notice of intervention in B.C.’s appeal to the top court.
READ MORE: Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets green light to proceed
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says the B.C. Court of Appeal made it clear in its May ruling that the federal government, not the provinces, has sole authority over projects that cross provincial boundaries.
“The B.C. Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision was clear,” Kenney said. “B.C. does not have constitutional authority to block cross-provincial projects in the national interest.
“Albertans have contributed massively to the federation through transfers that stem directly from the prosperity generated from Alberta’s responsible energy sector. It’s time that B.C. recognizes the clear and constitutionally sound jurisdiction of the federal government and ends its efforts to block Alberta’s resources from getting to market.”
READ MORE: B.C. to appeal top court ruling it can’t regulate flow of bitumen through Trans Mountain pipeline
Kenney says the B.C. court action is a bid to limit Alberta’s oil resources from getting to the coast and, from there, fetching a better price overseas.
READ MORE: B.C. to argue for injunction on Alberta’s turn off the taps law in Calgary court
Alberta and B.C. have been battling for years over energy issues, particularly the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Alberta has already passed a law allowing it to cut existing oil shipments to B.C. in retaliation if it so chooses, which British Columbia is also challenging in court.
Watch below (June 27): B.C. Premier John Horgan talks about his views on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project while speaking at the Western Canada premiers meeting in Edmonton on Thursday.
— With files from Global News
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