“I hope it doesn’t come to this, but if B.C. blocks pipelines for Canadian oil, Saskatchewan will consider retaliation, including restricted export permits for our oil,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said.
Saskatchewan entered the trade war between Alberta and British Columbia, telling the coastal province Thursday it will consider limits on its out-of-province oil shipments if B.C. continues its efforts to delay the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.
“We are giving warning to say we will do what it takes to ensure that this Trans Mountain pipeline that was approved by the federal government is built,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in an interview.
Saskatchewan likely won’t be shipping oil on the proposed pipeline between Alberta and B.C., but is hurt by the project’s delay because the discount to Canadian oil relative to U.S. crude is costing the Saskatchewan government $150 million per year, Moe said. The pipeline is expected to reduce that discount.
“I hope it doesn’t come to this, but if B.C. blocks pipelines for Canadian oil, Saskatchewan will consider retaliation, including restricted export permits for our oil,” Moe said in a Twitter posting.
Saskatchewan’s threat to retaliate against B.C. in the ongoing pipeline fight further aligns it with Alberta and escalates the threat of an inter-provincial trade war, which could now include Canada’s three western-most provinces.
Geoffrey Morgan – Vancouver Sun – March 29, 2018.
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