Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 8, 2017
Personality politics emerge as pipeline dispute pits Alberta against B.C.
British Columbia NDP Leader John Horgan and Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver were clearly on a roll last week at a celebratory news conference that formalized what they promised would be a four-year collaboration.
May 31, 2017
And it was the tag-team response to questions about the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion that most revealed how Horgan and Weaver might handle the political problem with Alberta and fellow NDP Premier Rachel Notley.
“I haven’t spoken to Rachel directly,” said Horgan, whose past dealings with the Alberta premier put the two on a first name basis.
Horgan said the Alberta premier, who is pushing hard for Kinder Morgan, is rightly waiting until the new government in B.C. is in place before reaching out.
“When that happens, we’ll have that conversation,” he said.
December 1, 2016
It was all very nice. But the gentle tone and tenor didn’t last very long.
For her part, Notley spent a good deal of time challenging the premise that a Green/NDP government in B.C. can stop the pipeline.
On Tuesday, the Alberta premier vowed at a news conference: “Mark my words, that pipeline will be built, the decisions have been made.”
When a reporter asked later that day about Notley’s pronouncement, Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver laughed out loud as Horgan lobbed the hot potato his way. (Source: CBC News)