OTTAWA — B.C. Premier Christy Clark says it's long past time for the federal government to issue environmental permits for a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas terminal in Prince Rupert.
Clark's demand ups the pressure on the Trudeau Liberals, who have so far avoided hard decisions on resource projects that are being squeezed between pro-development premiers and environmental and indigenous opponents.
But the B.C. premier isn't laying the blame at the feet of the Liberal government elected last October, saying the bid by Indonesian giant Petronas for its Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal began more than three years ago.
Clark, in Ottawa for an historic parliamentary apology for the 1914 rejection of the Komagata Maru ship carrying would-be immigrants from India, has scheduled private meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and two senior cabinet ministers where she'll push B.C.'s resource sector demands.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Clark confirms there are three-way discussions going on between B.C., the Alberta government and Ottawa over the sale of B.C. hydro power to Alberta.
Clark denies those talks are connected to pipeline approvals across her province, and says she'd rather sell excess B.C. hydro to Alberta than to the United States in order to help Canada meet its national greenhouse gas emission targets.
