Premiers of Quebec, Alberta to discuss moving oil east – by Jane Taber (Globe and Mail – November 24, 2012)

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An unlikely alliance between between the premiers of Quebec and Alberta to start talks on moving oil east is prompting discussion about whether it will lay the groundwork for a national energy strategy between provinces.

Meeting for the first time this week in Halifax at the premiers’ summit, Pauline Marois and Alison Redford agreed to form a joint working group to explore the idea of moving Alberta’s oil east to Quebec.

Although, Ms. Marois made it clear this was strictly a deal between her province and Alberta, other premiers, like Manitoba’s Greg Selinger, are viewing it differently.

“It’s part of a national strategy,” Mr. Selinger told The Globe and Mail as the meeting wrapped up Friday. “I think we have greater energy security in Canada by having a pipeline in Canada that goes to the east coast.”

New Brunswick’s David Alward has been meeting for several months with Ms. Redford about the idea of bringing Alberta’s heavy oil to the Irving refinery in Saint John. He told reporters he spoke to Ms. Marois “about the importance we believe this resource could bring to all of Canada.”

Ms. Redford noted that her discussions with Ms. Marois were not “exclusive.”

“The opportunity to work with any province … is something that we welcome,” she said. “I see this as another component in the development of a longer-term plan that very easily involves everyone.”

Everyone but British Columbia, perhaps. Relegated to the sidelines at this meeting was B.C. Premier Christy Clark. She had refused to join the other premiers when they decided at their last Council of Federation meeting, held in Halifax in July, to start working on a national energy strategy.

At that meeting she was the star of the show, attracting headlines with her threats to block the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline that would take Alberta oil through her province if B.C. did not get an unspecified “fair share” of the profits.

Her controversial position has not changed. “British Columbia is not part of the national energy strategy,” she said Friday. “So if Quebec wants to have a discussion with Alberta that’s a decision for them to make. But British Columbia isn’t part of it.”

Ms. Clark said she doesn’t see how this is a national strategy when the “west coast of the country is not part of it.”

For the rest of this article, please go to the Globe and Mail website: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pipeline-politics-at-premiers-summit-pits-bc-against-alta-and-que/article5583960/