Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre had words of congratulations for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ahead of an expected pipeline project announcement later Thursday evening.
His words for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is also set to appear at the Calgary press conference announcing next steps in the pipeline: “Get out of the way.”
“Our view is that he needs to get out of the way and permit all proposals,” he told reporters from his riding of Battle River-Crowfoot.
Poilievre said he had not seen the newest pipeline plan and would respond accordingly when he had. He congratulated Smith in advance for “continuing to fight for Alberta and its oil and gas sector.”
The Alberta government’s deadline to submit a project proposal for a west-coast pipeline to B.C. was July 1. Smith and Carney are set to announce a “major” step in the line at 6 p.m. MT on Thursday.
Earlier that day, Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby announced an agreement that would maintain the north-coast oil tanker ban in the interest of maintaining First Nations and environmental concerns, while optimizing other pipeline projects.
Poilievre said the ban along the northern coast was “ridiculous.”
“It takes about 36 hours less time to get to Asia from northern B.C. as it does from southern B.C. That’s just because of the curvature of the earth. It’s simple geometry.”
“We don’t want a pipeline that will simply lead tankers to take the oil south down to the California west coast. We’re trying to diversify here. The best way to diversify is by permitting a pipeline from Hardisty, Alta. to Prince Rupert or Kitimat.”
Carney’s office said the agreement was a “good faith” engagement that allows access to B.C.’s “world class ports and established trade corridors.”
The plan will aim to optimize the Trans Mountain pipeline, which transports hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil from Edmonton to B.C., the U.S. west coast and other international markets.
The new proposed pipeline would likely carry up to one million barrels per day from Alberta oilsands to a yet-to-be determined west coast port for tanker export to Asia.
Poilievre’s next stop in Alberta is Tofield, a town southeast of Edmonton that was forced to cancel its Canada Day celebrations due to intense overland flooding caused by ongoing heavy rain.
With files from CTV News Calgary
