EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will fight the passage of two federal environment bills on multiple fronts — starting in court.
Kenney says he is filing constitutional challenges to Bill C-48 and Bill C-69 because he believes they unfairly target his oil and gas province.
Kenney says Bill C-48, which bans tanker traffic on the northern British Columbia coast, is particularly punitive because there’s no such ban on tanker traffic elsewhere in Canada.
And he says Bill C-69, which rewrites rules to assess proposed energy projects, is so onerous that they won’t get built.
Kenney also says he will revisit how much Alberta pays in equalization.
The provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario have also weighed in with criticism on the bills.
Ontario Energy Minister Greg Rickford says Bill C-69 is a twin disaster by reducing Canada’s energy competitiveness while failing to better protect the environment.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the bills will hurt the economy and job creation.