OTTAWA — The federal NDP is opposing Alberta’s proposed West Coast oil pipeline, arguing the project prioritizes oil company profits over climate action and risks burdening taxpayers with billions of dollars in costs.In a statement posted Thursday evening, NDP Leader Avi Lewis said the proposed public-private partnership announced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith raises questions about who will ultimately pay for the project.“The opaque and confusing public-private partnership ownership structure means it’s very likely that we, the public, will not only bear the risks and the damages, but also the lion’s share of the costs,” Lewis said.The comments came hours after Alberta formally asked Ottawa to designate the proposed pipeline as a project of national interest. The province wants to build a new export pipeline capable of transporting more than one million barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim, Alberta, to BC’s southwest coast, in partnership with Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline.Smith has said the project is critical to Alberta’s goal of increasing oil production to eight million barrels per day over the next decade and expanding Canadian energy exports to Asian markets..Lewis said the NDP “unequivocally” opposes the proposal.“Canada’s New Democrats unequivocally oppose this pipeline proposal. If anything, this is a pipeline to the courts,” he said.“It ignores the federal government’s legal responsibility to meaningfully consult indigenous nations, including Treaty 8 nations in Alberta, threatens endangered species, and accelerates climate change.”Lewis also accused Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government of siding with the oil and gas sector at the expense of climate policy.“Today’s announcement shows what this federal government will protect above all else: the profits of Big Oil,” he said.“As we mark the five-year anniversary of a heat dome that killed 619 people in British Columbia — and as many communities across the country are facing extreme weather right now — Canadians deserve leadership that protects us.”Lewis argued Canada should instead focus on renewable energy infrastructure, including a national east-west electricity grid, home retrofits and expanding what he called “good green jobs” across the country.“Canadians deserve better than being told our only choice is another fight over another pipeline,” he said.The Alberta government has argued the project would create tens of thousands of jobs, generate tens of billions of dollars in government revenue and strengthen Canada’s energy security by reducing reliance on the US market while expanding exports to Asia.Smith has also said indigenous equity participation will be a key component of the project, with financing expected to be available through the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation and the federal Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program.The proposal is now before the federal Major Projects Office as Alberta seeks a national interest designation by October 1. If approved, construction could begin as early as September 2027.
