Article content

On Tuesday, at the first cabinet meeting of our new Alberta government, we proclaimed into law the Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act, which gives our government the ability to curtail oil shipments from Alberta.

We did not proclaim this law to reduce energy shipments to B.C., but to have the power to protect Alberta’s ability to get full value for our resources should circumstances require. Let me explain why Alberta’s new government has taken this step.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Premier Jason Kenney to British Columbians: 'We will never be afraid to stand up for Alberta' Back to video

The Trans Mountain Pipeline, connecting Alberta’s petroleum refineries to B.C.’s Lower Mainland, has been safely operating since 1953 and it remains the way that most B.C. gasoline is delivered. In recent years, industry has proposed a major increase to the capacity of this pipeline system through the Trans Mountain Expansion project, or TMX.

TMX was approved by the National Energy Board and the federal cabinet with 157 legally binding conditions designed to ensure the highest environmental standards on Earth. The federal government is currently taking more time to ensure proper completion of indigenous consultations — a necessary step to fully discharge the Crown’s duty to consult. It is worth noting that more than 100 First Nations support the expansion, as do the majority of British Columbians.