‘Count me as skeptical’: Eby open to conversations with Smith on pipelines, doubtful private proponent will come forward

Premier David Eby speaks to reporters from his office following the throne speech at the legislature in Victoria, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

As the federal government passes its contentious bill to streamline approvals of so-called nation-building projects, B.C. Premier David Eby says he’s doubtful he can be convinced of the need to build a new pipeline through his province.

The Liberals’ Bill C-5 — dubbed the Building Canada Act — passed 306 to 31 on Friday, just minutes before the House rose for the summer break. The bill — aimed at giving government sweeping new powers to approve major projects of national interest — is now headed for the Senate, where it’s expected to pass.

Amid opposition to the bill, Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised that he won’t impose a project on a province that doesn’t want it, and that all projects will require consensus to go ahead.

The condition prompted Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to say during an interview on CTV Question Period earlier this month that she would “convince” Eby to support building a pipeline to transport oil from her province, through his, to tidewater.

Eby has said he won’t support a new pipeline built with any public dollars, arguing the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) is already in place.

In an interview on CTV Question Period airing Sunday, Eby told host Vassy Kapelos the priority should be getting TMX operating at capacity before greenlighting new projects.

“There’s no fight here,” Eby said, of the potential standoff between the two premiers. “The concern that I have is a matter of priorities.”

“(TMX) is owned by Canadians. It’s not operating at capacity,” Eby also said. “There’s 200,000 additional barrels of capacity in that pipeline. Let’s start there.”

The B.C. premier added he doesn’t think a new pipeline should be subsidized by government, arguing there are other energy projects being proposed by private companies, which should be prioritized.

When pressed by Kapelos on the positive impact of TMX on Canada’s GDP, and whether the two are mutually exclusive — if the government can at once create an environment through Bill C-5 to encourage private investment in major projects so they don’t need to be federally funded, while other energy projects Eby listed also move ahead — Eby pointed to his signing of an agreement with the Prairie and other Western provinces for a “port-to-port” energy corridor.

“If Premier Smith is able to come up with this (pipeline) project, that’s what the corridor will be for,” he said.

“Count me as skeptical, and count me as opposed to the idea of tens of billions of dollars of additional federal subsidy when we have a pipeline that is not currently at capacity in our province operating right now,” he added, when asked by Kapelos whether he can be convinced by Smith that a new pipeline project could have merit.

The B.C. premier said he would prefer to focus on projects that can be delivered on “in the here and now.”

He also said that if Smith can conceive of a pipeline project that doesn’t require “significant federal subsidy,” then “more power to her.”

“If the premier of Alberta is able to deliver it, then let’s have that conversation,” he said. “But I don’t see that.”