Premier David Eby has reacted to the memorandum of understanding signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, though not with the same fervour as he has in the past.Speaking to reporters in Victoria on Thursday, he said the impacts of the move make him "anxious," and warned that it could "distract" from real projects.."My anxiety about the pipeline proposal that has come from Alberta that is a key part of this agreement is that it runs the very significant risk that has already partially been realized of taking our eye off the prize," he said, suggesting it is "distracting the federal government, distracting resources, and pulling time away from real projects that can be delivered in the near term."Eby cited LNG Canada Phase Two — which is at the centre of the largest private sector investment in Canadian history — as an example of a project the federal government should be focusing on..Eby went on to note that it "would have been good for BC to be at the table," noting that had he been involved, the MOU "wouldn't have omitted basic things" like spill response or "potential win-win scenarios" that involve keeping Alberta oil and gas in Canada.He also said that Carney must sit down with Coastal First Nations, and include them as partners in any negotiations involving BC's North Coast..He pointed out that nobody has stepped in to buy the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, and argued that inability to find a private proponent for the new pipeline will likely prove "fatal to Premier Smith's proposal.".UPDATED: Alberta and Ottawa strike sweeping deal to boost oil exports, scrap federal caps and push oil to Asia .The MOU included a number of provisions, including First Nations co-ownership and consultation, and the opportunity for a potential "adjustment" to BC's tanker ban.
