There were shouts of joy from the Provincial Government today (May 29th) after a huge announcement from the Federal Liberals. 

Finance Minister Bill Morneau said that the Government will purchase the expansion for the Transmountain Pipeline from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 Billion.

With the deadline from Kinder Morgan set to expire on Thursday, the announcement from the Federal Government was music to the ears of Premier Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP.

When asked about the over $4 Billion price tag, Notley believes it’s a reasonable value.

“This is a profitable project, it will make money. What was leading up to this point was the very rigorous due diligence that both the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada was doing to dig into the nuts and bolts of the project, to make sure that we were getting the deal we thought we were.”

Notley went so far as to say that her government has been behind the Kinder Morgan project since they were voted in three years ago.

“When we were elected we said, Kinder Morgan was a pipeline our government would work to secure. When we introduced the Climate Leadership Plan, we said that that was part and parcel of getting the pipeline built. Now, we are getting the pipeline built.”

Out on the West Coast, BC’s NDP Premier John Horgan says that it doesn’t change his course of action in delaying the project to environment the environment of his province.

While some are rejoicing over the decision, others are taking a different stance.

United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney doesn’t see the decision from the Federal Liberals as a success.

“The fact that Kinder Morgan has pulled out is nothing to celebrate. The fact that we’ve been left with one potential coastal pipeline is no cause for a victory lap. I wish we would see a little bit more of the sense of the gravity of the situation of which we have been put and the broader message that sends about investor confidence in the Alberta and Canadian resource sectors.”

Kenney says that despite the government purchase of the pipeline it won’t change the views of those who oppose it.

Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Sheer was also critical of the decision saying that no taxpayer money should have been spent on the project as all that was needed was a stern sign of approval.

The government’s plan to purchase the pipeline means that work can start soon on the expansion.

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