Following a historic win by the Conservative Party of British Columbia, one analyst anticipates an enthusiastic Alberta government. B.C. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has pledged to expand energy projects and has welcomed collaboration with Alberta. “Among my first calls as premier will be to the prime minister, as well as Premier Danielle Smith to get the Pacific Link working group moving,” said Doerkson. “Our resources are the strongest hand B.C. holds and we will play them.” In a post to social media Saturday, Smith congratulated Doerkson on his win. “Alberta and B.C. share strong economic ties and common interest, from trade and energy to transportation and economic growth,” wrote Smith. “I look forward to working with Premier-designate Doerkson on shared priorities and advancing the interests of people in both provinces, including unleashing Canada’s potential as an energy superpower.” On Monday Smith said she supported a private member’s bill to repeal the federal Oil Tanker Moratorium Act to open the door to crude-by-rail exports through Prince Rupert. “For decades, limited access to tidewater has left Alberta heavily dependent on a single customer, putting our oil at a competitive disadvantage and reducing the value of our resources,” said the premier in a statement. “Pacific Link will help increase our export capacity, but we also need to remove the federal tanker ban to unlock opportunities through Prince Rupert.” While Doerkson has expressed interest in working with Alberta, one analyst believes that lifting the tanker ban could sour relationships in B.C.’s north. “A lot of people are going to get pretty angry… and lawsuits will ensue,” said Richard Masson, president of energy consulting company Planning Solutions. “I’m frustrated that we’re suddenly talking about the tanker ban again, when the focus has been the need to get that million-barrel-a-day pipeline built.” In a memorandum of understanding signed between Ottawa and Alberta on a pipeline, it was agreed that the tanker ban would not be repealed. Although Masson doesn’t agree on going back on the tanker ban, he says a closer political alignment among the provinces on a pipeline is beneficial. “Since the war in the Middle East and since Ukraine bombing Russian refineries, we’ve found that energy security and affordability are very key considerations,” said Masson. “We need to be able to bring our resources to the world, and governments – whether they are B.C., Alberta, or others – all hear that from their voters.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug
