B.C. NDP Leader David Eby was asked on Thursday about his thoughts about the federal government’s announcement of a new West Coast oil pipeline. “This is a priority project for the prime minister and for Alberta, and they’re doing the work that they said they were going to do,” said Eby. On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney stood alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to announce for the new oil pipeline, named Pacific Link. Pacific Link is the first-ever project of national interest to be designated as such under the Building Canada Act. The proposed 1,200-kilometre pipeline would stretch from Bruderheim, Alta., just outside of Edmonton, to Delta, B.C., and would carry an estimated one million barrels a day when completed. In July, the B.C. government agreed to the Canada-British Columbia Co-operative Prosperity Agreement with Ottawa, which would provide around $20 billion for investments into provincial projects. That agreement allowed Alberta to make a pipeline proposal without B.C.’s support, while also confirming the oil tanker ban on the northern coast would remain in place. “That’s why we fought so hard for this deal,” said Eby. The deal with Ottawa also ensures that B.C. will be compensated for environmental risk related to the pipeline. “We’ve got an important role to play in this pipeline process to protect the interests of British Columbians,” said Eby. ”We also recognize that our projects and our priorities need the same level of attention from the federal government."
