After making quick work of a promise to lay the ground work to turn off the taps to B.C., Alberta's new premier Jason Kenney is turning his attention to another energy foe, Ottawa.
On his third day on the job, Kenney took his fight with a federal bill -- to a Canadian senate committee. At issue is Bill C-69.
The government promises it will provide certainty to energy companies and strengthen environmental assessments. Kenney provocatively calls it the "no more pipelines" bill and said if it passes, it could damage Canadian unity.
"It will be a message to people of Alberta that their federal government doesn't care about a devastating economic period in our province," he told the Senate committee on energy, environment and natural resources.
Kenney also said he thought C-69 was unconstitutional and threatened court action. It's something Kenney's government is already facing in its infancy.
On Tuesday the UCP government enacted Alberta's Bill 12 which allows the province to restrict energy shipments. The so-called "turn off the taps" legislation could limit how much gas is sent to B.C. and spike prices amidst an ongoing crisis of affordability.
Kenney has already spoken out against Bill C-48 which the federal government introduced as a tanker ban off B.C.'s north coast.
The feisty premier also intends to repeal a carbon tax the previous NDP government brought in, and has said he will do whatever he needs to, to push a pipeline through.
That raises questions about whether Kenney's dispute with federal policies is also partly political posturing to help secure a back room deal to get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, built.
B.C.'s environment minister wouldn't say much when presented that possibility.
"I'm not going to presume to know what the federal government may do," said George Heyman in Victoria.
He added he was in support of revamping the environmental impact assessment process to better protect the environment.
