Eby says Carney must show same enthusiasm for B.C. projects as he does for Alberta

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during a press conference in front of the pitch for FIFA World Cup in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

B.C. Premier David Eby says he’s looking for an equal level of enthusiasm from Prime Minister Mark Carney as he had for Alberta’s pipeline pitch and a lower carbon price.

Eby made the statement at an unrelated news conference outside the legislature in Victoria as he prepares to meet Carney this week.

Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an agreement last week that could start the construction of a new pipeline to B.C.’s coast as early as next year and announced lower carbon pricing for the province of $130 per tonne by 2040.

Eby says he doesn’t understand how Ottawa’s carbon agreement with Alberta is going to be implemented across Canada, because national policies need to be negotiated with all premiers, not just one province.

He says they can’t have “bad behaviour” be the factor on who gets the ear of the federal government and each province and territory needs to be supported with equal respect.

The premier says the projects being advanced in B.C. are pro-Canadian, yet they are being left out of the discussion as “separatist premiers” get all the attention of the federal government.

“I think the reality is, that there is a very real and present threat of a referendum on separatism in Alberta, enabled by decisions made by the Albertan government, and I believe that is part of why we are seeing the federal government engage differently with Alberta, than other premiers across the country.”

This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published May 19, 2026.