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VANCOUVER — A panel of judges reserved its decision on Wednesday after hearing arguments from indigenous groups that the Canadian government had failed to properly consult them on expanding its oil pipeline.

The challenge to the Federal Court of Appeal is the latest obstacle to tripling capacity on the Alberta-to-British Columbia Trans Mountain pipeline, which the Canadian oil industry says is badly needed.

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“It feels like an acrimonious divorce. Obviously there’s a lot of tension here,” Chief Justice Marc Noël said, before saying the judges needed time to make a decision after a three-day hearing.

The operator of Canada’s state-owned oil pipeline had asked the court to dismiss the legal challenge by four indigenous groups.

The indigenous groups “did not negotiate in good faith, or at all,” Trans Mountain Corp lawyer Maureen Killoran said. Effectively, the groups are attempting to hold a veto over the C$10 billion project despite the government’s best attempts to address their concerns, she said.