By Charles Lefebvre

Saskatchewan introduces bill to control its oil and gas exports

Apr 23, 2018 | 2:49 PM

REGINA, SASK — The Saskatchewan Government has introduced its own bill to allow the province to control the export of its oil and gas products.

Bill 126, The Energy Export Act, was tabled in the legislature on Monday for first reading. The bill is similar to legislation recently introduced by Alberta.

Under the bill, a permitting process for corporations and individuals seeking to export Saskatchewan oil and gas outside of the province would be established.

“Our government will always stand up for Saskatchewan and defend the people and businesses that rely on our oil and gas industry,” said Energy Minister Bronwyn Eyre in a news release. “Increasing pipeline access to tidewater would inject billions of dollars into Canada’s economy.  We are in this gridlock today because, in the 18 months since the federal government approved the Trans Mountain pipeline, it has failed to ensure that construction could proceed. 

“The federal government must ensure its constitutional authority is respected and that the Trans Mountain pipeline gets built.”

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The bill is in response to the ongoing dispute between Alberta and British Columbia over the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Last week, the Alberta government introduced the Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act, giving Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd the ability to request licenses from companies who wish to export oil from Alberta.

Eyre says Bill 126 is intended as a last resort, and will only be used i”f the Trans Mountain pipeline continues to be stalled by provincial obstruction and federal inaction and if the Alberta government acts upon its similar legislation,” the release says.