Pipeline drama provides great politics, dubious policy
Canada’s latest political drama has come from the state of jeopardy of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The federal government has announced it will take over the project from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion.
The B.C. government is asking the courts if it can block the pipeline, creating a bipartisan agreement by Alberta politicians for some radical policies.
The United Conservative Party (UCP) of Alberta and the NDP government of Alberta co-operated to fast-track legislation that gives Alberta the right to stop the flow of oil to British Columbia. More surprisingly, they both said they supported provincial and federal involvement and tax dollars to save the project (although the UCP criticized the deal when it was finally announced).