KANANASKIS — BC Premier David Eby said he disagrees “profoundly” with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to have a referendum in October on the independence question.Eby told the media on Tuesday at the closing of the Western Premiers’ Conference in Kananaskis that “British Columbians sent me here with a clear mission to work with the other premiers and get things done for the country.”“They are not asking me to fight with other premiers... They’re just saying, ‘Make sure that our interests are represented around creating jobs, creating opportunities, and supporting my family with having enough money to pay the bills and deal with the cost of living.'" Eby said. He did admit that he and Smith have long-standing disagreements over issues such as the proposed crude oil pipeline to the BC coast and the oil tanker ban, but that neither issue should stop the two from trying to find common ground for the betterment of both of their provinces.“We can disagree with each other,” Eby said, joking that Smith could still give him “a real nice pair of boots” while the two leaders continue trying to resolve differences “together at the table.”Smith was later asked if she believed current and past leadership in BC had contributed to the current independence sentiment in Alberta.She responded by saying many of Alberta’s frustrations stem from what she described as years of policies targeting the province’s energy sector.“I can’t erase the past ten years of targeted policy against our energy sector,” she said..'NOT CORRECT': Kinew challenges Smith over duty to consult in Alberta independence petition debate.“I can't erase the actions of BC premiers going all the way back to Christy Clark to set up barriers and try to derail our economic infrastructure on the coast.”The Alberta leader did, however, state she understood British Columbians had concerns that also needed to be addressed and that she and Eby had been “trying to understand what those are and how we might be able to address them.”She mentioned how federal-provincial relations over the last 18 months have changed, crediting Prime Minister Mark Carney for taking a more constructive approach toward resource development and interprovincial trade disputes.“I believe that the prime minister is playing the role that the prime minister of this country has always been supposed to play — trade and commerce powers fall under federal jurisdiction for a reason,” Smith stated.“As Premier Eby said, there’s some different disagreements on routing [for the pipeline] and some of the concerns that he’s raised. But I believe that the prime minister, in good faith, is going to work with us to try to find a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
