British Columbia Premier David Eby said he would stake his government on the passage of a bill to fast-track construction of the North Coast Transmission Line to power future resource projects in northwestern B.C.
Eby said the last thing he wants is an early election, but his government "will be prepared if it is necessary" to go to the polls should Bill 31 fail to get through the legislature.
The bill would give the government direct decision-making power over agreements related to the huge project to send power north, with critics saying it cuts out the traditional role of the B.C. Utilities Commission.
Eby's NDP holds a one-seat majority, and without the support of two Green MLAs, Eby says there's "a very narrow margin" to pass the bill, whose passage he calls "non-negotiable."
A Conservative motion to delay the bill by six months failed on Tuesday, 48 to 40.
Eby said the North Coast Transmission Line, with an estimated price tag of $6 billion, is of "crucial importance" to British Columbians and investments that will require its power.
"Unlike the Conservative motion, the North Coast Transmission Line is not a stunt," Eby said. "It's not a joke. It is the economic future of this province. It represents $50 billion in investment."
He said any attempt to delay or prevent the bill "is a direct threat to the economic prosperity" to British Columbia, which B.C. cannot afford.
Opposition B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said the line "is something that does not need to be built."
Rustad called the proposed 450-kilometre line between Prince George and Terrace a "boondoggle" that he said won't even deliver the necessary power to British Columbia's northwest.
He also questioned why Eby would stake his government on the passage of the project, calling it "brinkmanship."
Rustad said that if Eby went to the polls, he would see what the public thought of the premier's handling of issues ranging from property rights to health care, crime and the economy.
"So if he wants to go to the polls, drop the writ. Let's go dance."
B.C. Green Jeremy Valeriote said his party supports some elements of Bill 31 but is not willing to support its current form.
He also questioned why Eby attached so much significance to the bill.
"Like I said, it's got nothing to do with us," Valeriote said. "If the premier wants to have an election, and he wants to use that as an excuse, that is his prerogative."
The Greens have said the bill would "gut" the B.C. Utilities Commission’s role making independent decisions about power supply in the public interest.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
