'Unprecedented' Supreme Court decision on Trans Mountain should be message for Quebec: Kenney

The Supreme Court “came right back, slam dunk, saying that no province has the right to block a pipeline because those are, under the constitution, inter-provincial pipelines are the exclusive power of the federal government,” Jason Kenney said of Quebec's move to block the Energy East pipeline, which was subsequently cancelled. Postmedia News

It should be noted that Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenney says that the “unprecedented” dismissal of the Supreme Court of Canada of the British Columbia movement to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project should “send a message” to Quebec that it cannot block the Energy East pipeline project.

Also, during a Global News Radio interview over the weekend, Kenney bluntly criticized the federal government and federal regulatory processes for important projects such as oil pipeline and oil pipeline projects. In addition, when asked about the proposed Energy East pipeline project and then retired, the prime minister joked that it has been easier for Russia to build a pipeline across Europe than for a pipeline company to build a project in Canada.

Interview

There is definitely no doubt that Kenney’s interview was notable given the sharpness of his comments on the proposed development of the oil sands and the recent unanimous decision of the Supreme Court to dismiss the case of BC to restrict shipments of heavy oil across its borders.

On the other hand, a spokesman for the prime minister said that Kenney’s comments on Energy East were aspirational and that the office is not aware of any plans to revive the Energy East gas pipeline project, but is hopeful that it will resume in the future.

TC Energy Corp., the Calgary-based gas pipeline company that submitted a request to build the Energy East gas pipeline in 2014, did not respond to a request for comment on whether the Energy East gas pipeline project would be revived. Therefore it is considered that this should also send a message to Quebec, who have been claiming that they could stop a possible Energy East pipeline

For its part, the federal government has only said so far that it is reviewing multiple factors, including environmental concerns and the creation of middle-class jobs, as it considers the project.

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Source: Geoffrey Morgan | Financial Post