Pipeline, major projects shows Ottawa’s commitment to Alberta, Smith says

With just a few days before Albertans vote on a separation referendum, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said burgeoning pipelines and other major commitments show Ottawa’s commitment to her province.

Albertans head to the polls on Monday, where they will offer their opinion on 10 subjects ranging from changes to Canada’s constitution, abolishing the Senate, health care opt outs and immigration.

Most notably, however, is the question of whether Albertans want to remain part of Canada, or hold a binding referendum to leave.

“We’re coming up on the final home stretch here,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told the Financial Post. “I voted. I voted to remain. I’ve been encouraging others who want to send a message to give us a strong mandate on the nine (other) government questions, but we really will be hearing from Albertans on Monday.”

Polls have shown between 20 and 30 per cent of Albertans would vote to separate from Canada, not enough to be successful, but enough to send a strong message, Smith said.

“I’m going to have to do a little bit more work, obviously,” she said. “The issues that we’ve addressed have not been sufficient to win that confidence back, but I think it means that myself and the prime minister are really going to have to do a lot more work.”

Even those who vote to remain in Canada are not necessarily giving a ringing endorsement to the federal government, either, she added.

“That’s not really a vote that everything’s hunky dory and there’s nothing to work on,” Smith said. “I think it’s a vote of confidence that things are headed in the right direction. That we’ve seen a change in the approach that the federal government has taken on a whole range of issues.”

Among the major issues is energy. The federal government recently announced it would fast track the proposed $44-billion Pacific Link pipeline by making it a project of national interest.

Under the current ownership structure, Ottawa and Alberta will split 90 per cent of the pipeline, with Pembina Pipeline Corp. owning the remainder.

“I think the federal government came to the conclusion that owning this kind of infrastructure was actually a pretty good investment for Canadian taxpayers and they wanted us to stay at the table with them until it is complete,” Smith said.

Once complete, Pacific Link would carry up to one million barrels of oil every day from Alberta to the British Columbia coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney previously estimated the project would create 140,000 jobs and add $20 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product.

Smith said the federal government’s decision to fast track the project shows a welcome change in perspective among those in Ottawa.

“I think there is a genuine effort being made to meet Alberta in the middle and to try to find a path forward for both of us, as well as all of Canada,” she said. “I think that’s a positive change.”