Christy Clark has accused Premier David Eby of being "dead scared" of the possibility of having a pipeline from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia.The former premier suggested the BC NDP government was afraid of the impact approving such a project would have on its voter base.."This federal tanker ban was a joke when they brought it in, and it's a joke now," Clark said. "The Americans are shipping bitumen along the west coast of British Columbia from Alaska ... and they're doing it almost every day. The tanker ban doesn't effect them, and guess what? There haven't been any bitumen spills."While tankers — mostly carrying medium sour crude — do travel past BC on their way from Alaska to other parts of the United States, they do not come as close to the coast as Canadian vessels would. She argued that there needs to be some "myth-busting" in the discourse surrounding the potential of shipping oil out of ports along BC's coast, but that the main roadblock to actually getting a pipeline built is the current government."Then there's the issue of the British Columbia government," Clark continued. "The Eby government is dead scared of any conversation about oil on the north coast."She predicted that were it put to a referendum, British Columbians would pass it, but that "the NDP base will not accept a David Eby government supporting this project.".Eby refused to even entertain Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's plan to have her government back an application for a pipeline to BC, maintaining that it was "not a real project" and should instead have been taken to the "Major Distractions Office.".WATCH: Eby says Smith's pipeline 'not a real project,' calls it a 'distraction'.Eby pushed back on allegations he's flip-flopped on his response to a new pipeline, suggesting he was merely "being polite.""There is no project — there is no bridge to cross," he said. "Don't mistake my politeness for weakness.".EXCLUSIVE: Rustad 'really pleased' Alberta leading application for pipeline to BC coast, offers 'full support'.The BC Conservatives, on the other hand, welcomed Smith's move. Leader John Rustad said he was "really pleased," and offered his "full support."
