Breakenridge: Focus on Trans Mountain, ignore Quebec's face slap

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No sooner had Alberta elected a new government we were confronted with two potentially significant developments on the pipeline front. And while it’s possible that both were intended to be shots across the bow for the incoming premier, let’s hope Jason Kenney can remain focused on what’s most important.

Late last week we learned that the federal government would not be making a decision next month on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, as outgoing premier Rachel Notley has assured us. Rather, Ottawa will hold off on that decision until June — ostensibly to allow more time for consultations with First Nations to run their proper course.

Meanwhile, following Kenney’s overtures to Quebec in his victory speech (in French, no less), the Quebec national assembly responded the next day by unanimously passing a resolution that reaffirms its previous opposition to the Energy East pipeline. Moreover, the resolution asserts that Quebec “has full legitimacy to refuse projects passing through its territory, including a potential relaunch of Energy East, regardless of pressure from the rest of Canada.”

While the latter might seem provocative on Quebec’s part, we would do well to ignore it. Sure, it feels like a slap in the face and, obviously, pipelines are federal jurisdiction, but it’s not relevant to any pressing concerns of ours. Despite Kenney’s focus on Quebec in his speech and the extensive talk during the campaign of Quebec’s alleged duplicity in opposing pipeline projects while benefiting from equalization (and calls last year for a boycott of Quebec), Alberta’s issues at the moment have nothing to do with Quebec.

There is no pipeline to or through Quebec currently on the table and likely won’t be any in the foreseeable future. Our most immediate and critical pipeline concerns involve TMX, Keystone XL and the Line 3 replacement: the three pipelines that have been approved and the three pipelines that will more than address our pipeline capacity needs for the next decade. The fate of the latter two rests entirely in the hands of Americans, of course, which leaves us primarily with the matter of TMX.

Quebec is not relevant to the TMX debate and certainly does not pose an obstacle to getting TMX built. While there may be anti-pipeline sentiment in Quebec that federal politicians might be tempted to pander to, ultimately Quebec is nothing more than a distraction at the moment.

Which brings us back to the delay on the TMX decision. Kenney offered a very diplomatic approach when asked about it: that it was appropriate for Ottawa to get it right this time, and we look forward to good news forthcoming in two months.

Of course, it’s possible the Trudeau government is playing games here. Maybe they’re trying to delay this project as much as possible. Perhaps the delay is to allow them to assess how Alberta’s new premier addresses climate policy — it’s possible that Trudeau could change his mind on TMX and use Kenney as a scapegoat.

It’s also possible that Ottawa again says yes, and that’s followed by renewed intransigence and troublemaking on B.C.’s part. Kenney has made it clear that he’s prepared to retaliate against B.C. under such circumstances, but being rash or emotional could prove to be counterproductive.

But this is where Kenney’s focus should be — and ours, too. Whatever resentment Albertans feel toward the Quebec government’s rhetoric or the existence of equalization or anything else having to do with the eastern half of this Confederation, it’s not relevant to the here and now. We need to get TMX over the finish line. Beyond that, the new government needs to focus on getting Alberta’s economy back on track.

While many Albertans may be spoiling for a fight, we should save that energy for when our interests are genuinely at stake. Picking a fight with Quebec right now makes very little sense.

“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays 12:30-3:30pm on 770 CHQR rob.breakenridge@corusent.com  Twitter: @RobBreakenridge