Premier Christy Clark said yesterday in Calgary that Enbridge Inc.'s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline would likely be unable to proceed if it doesn't have B.C.'s support, as there are "a whole number of things that the British Columbia government could do" to make the project unfeasible.
Speaking to students at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, at her request, the premier reiterated the requirements any proposal for a heavy oil pipeline in B.C. would have to meet before her government would support it. This came on the heels of a brief and reportedly fruitless meeting with Alberta Premier Alison Redford on Monday.
The most contentious requirement is for B.C. to receive a "fair share" of the fiscal and economic benefits of a proposed heavy oil project that reflects the level and nature of the risk borne by the province, the environment and taxpayers – although it is not yet clear how this could be accomplished.
"Until somebody decides they want to start having a discussion about the total benefits that are available there, it's really impossible to know," she said. "When I say a fair share, I mean a fair share of the total benefits that are going to be flowing across the country. We don't really have a good sense of what that number is right now."
Clark was asked during a question-and-answer session what steps the province would take it there were a favourable ruling on the project and the federal government decided to push forward.
"Aside from the politics of trying to force something on a province to which they haven't consented, British Columbia has the power to grant or withhold about 60 permits," she said. "British Columbia's power would be required to power up the pipeline from BC Hydro, a Crown corporation. There are a whole number of different things the British Columbia government could do."
She later told reporters that speculation about how B.C. would stop the pipeline is "silly."
"The thing is, if British Columbia doesn't give its consent to this, there is no way the federal government or anyone else in the country is going to be able to force it through," Clark said.
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