Alberta’s NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has criticized the Smith government’s announcement of a proposed West Coast oil pipeline, calling it “an utter failure” and lacking in substance.“Like many Albertans, we were anticipating a big announcement today with good news to build up our country and our energy infrastructure,” Nenshi said in an official statement..“What we got was not that. There’s no route, there’s no proponent, and there’s no one putting money into this other than the Alberta government. There’s also no commitment from the federal government to repeal the legislation that would make this pipeline possible. Frankly, there’s nothing here except a vague idea and yet another committee.”Nenshi referred to his previous experience advancing pipeline projects as Calgary mayor, saying that he worked with then-NDP Premier Rachel Notley to get the “first tidewater pipeline in generations built.”“We know what it takes. It means rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work of building agreements with landowners, Indigenous Peoples, other governments, and proponents to secure economic benefits while protecting and preserving the environment.”He added that Alberta’s economy needs concrete investment in pipelines and called out Smith for political posturing.“Danielle Smith loves to pick fights. She must actually do the hard work, beyond the political headlines, and create the jobs our economy needs,” he said..In contrast, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has voiced his support for Alberta’s pipeline proposal, highlighting its potential to strengthen Canada’s economy and open new markets..Rob Anderson, Premier Smith’s chief of staff, responded to Nenshi’s criticism on X, stating: “Incredibly, Nenshi comes out against the Alberta-BC pipeline project using the precise talking points of the BC and federal NDP parties… Does this guy know he’s running for Premier of Alberta…you know…the province that requires pipelines to export its citizens’ most valuable economic asset?“Who is giving this man political advice — it’s painful to watch.”The Smith government, meanwhile, is set to continue planning the proposal in order to submit a formal application for a project of national significance to the Federal Major Projects Office no later than spring 2026..Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
