Premier John Horgan says he will not retaliate against Alberta鈥檚 ban on B.C. wine as a result of his government鈥檚 actions to halt progress on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
But he added the NDP government will not back down from its fight to nix the $7.4-billion project that would triple the pipeline鈥檚 capacity to transport crude from Alberta to the B.C. coast, nor will it end its support for the B.C. wine industry in what has become a trade war between the two provinces.
鈥淚 certainly hope we鈥檝e seen the end of the back and forth,鈥� Horgan told a news conference in Victoria on Wednesday. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 in anyone鈥檚 interest to have duelling premiers.鈥�
In other words, no Alberta beef ban in the works.
鈥� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)
The comments come a day after Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced her province would stop importing B.C. wines, adding that such a ban could cost that sector up to $17 million.
Horgan said Notley鈥檚 tactics won鈥檛 get in the way of his government鈥檚 Throne Speech next week.
鈥淚 want to resolve this, but I鈥檓 not going to be distracted.鈥�
"I see no ground for the premier to stand on," Horgan said of AB premier 's recent decisions, adding he disagrees with her comments that the gov. is violating constitution with regulations.
鈥� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)
Horgan said Ian Anderson, the president of Kinder Morgan Canada, has met with government officials since the NDP announced its proposal to limit bitumen transports off the B.C. coast until it can determine that shippers are prepared and able to properly clean up a spill.
In a statement to Black Press Media, Kinder Morgan called the recent political duel 鈥渦nfortunate.鈥�
鈥淚t is Trans Mountain鈥檚 intention to put people to work and to create jobs and opportunities through our expansion project, so it is unfortunate that any of this has happened, even tangentially,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淲e have operations, employees and community relationships spanning both provinces.鈥�
Is a boycott effective?
From oil to electricity to wine 鈥� and speculation that beer and beef could be next 鈥� consumers and retailers are keeping a close eye on whether another province bans a product.
But are Alberta鈥檚 protectionist methods useful?
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing is reducing the ability for consumers to enjoy a product that they were previously enjoying,鈥� said economist Ross Hickey, a professor at UBC Okanagan.
鈥淎s far as I know, there isn鈥檛 an Alberta wine industry that can benefit from higher prices 鈥� this is purely political.鈥�
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Hickey said the 鈥渢it-for-tat鈥� strategy playing out is taking away from what was originally a progressive trade agreement between provinces.
Canada doesn鈥檛 have a free provincial trade agreement, he said, so it鈥檚 rare for trade wars to happen between them. In 2009, Alberta and B.C. agreed to an inter-provincial agreement allowing the trade of wine.
Historically, Hickey said trade wars typically end when one side begins to lose too much.
鈥淲hen marijuana is legalized in Canada, and it鈥檚 possible for people of Alberta to buy British Columbia-produced marijuana, I鈥檓 pretty sure the calls for boycotts of each others鈥� goods and services from the other provinces are going to be gone.鈥�
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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