Two premiers talk energy and pipelines

“Here she goes at this invitation-only conference and talks about putting a pipeline through Delta without talking to anybody about it, well at least certainly not anyone in Delta.”

Ontario and Alberta have different approaches on climate change, but agree reducing greenhouse gases is a key issue linked directly to the economy, Premiers Kathleen Wynne and Rachel Notley said after meeting in Toronto Thursday.

She says once the fall sitting is underway, her government will lay out a plan to bring the budget into the black. She also defended the minimum wage increase by saying it’s what Albertans asked for when we took office.

“The ability to diversify our market for the energy industry in Alberta is not only good for the energy industry in Alberta but for Canada as a whole”.

There are 1,100 Ontario companies that are dependent on Alberta’s oilsands for their business, said Wynne, so the province has a vested interest in the sector.

“Under our leadership, Alberta’s abundant oil and gas reserves will remain open to investment”, she told hundreds of Bay Street movers and shakers. TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL and Energy East pipelines became controversial in part because environmentalists see stopping them as a way to curtail expansion of the oil sands and constrain greenhouse gas emissions. “That’s why I think we can work within it”.

Notley also weighed in briefly on the current online spat between Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney regarding debate over the niqab. The Premier has opted not to advocate for Keystone, and Mr. Gaulin said he felt she has even done too little to push for Energy East.

“I really just don’t think minority rights ought to be a political football”, the premier said.

Among other topics, Notley said the government hopes to have someone to replace outgoing Senior Representative to the United States, Rob Merrifield, very soon, after he was ousted by the NDP a day ago.