Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey has backed up her premier in the war of words raging between British Columbia and Alberta.
When asked about Danielle Smith’s proposed oil pipeline from Alberta to BC’s northern coast, Bailey told NowMedia the project is “not a good decision.”
She also said she doesn’t know if there’ll be “a market for the oil anyhow” by the time the proposed pipeline is built.
“People are transitioning away from oil significantly right now,” she said. “LNG – we've got buyers. Right now, we're exporting LNG to Korea.”
NowMedia has requested a comment from Premier Smith. In the past, she has claimed Alberta’s oil output could be sustained for another century, with demand set to increase “over the medium term.”
Last month, energy giant BP pushed back its own estimates for “peak oil” – the point at which global oil production hits its maximum – from this year to 2030.
It now thinks global demand will be about 103.4 million barrels per day by 2030, falling to 83 million barrels by 2050. Its prediction is broadly in line with those of Goldman Sachs and the International Energy Agency.
Bailey, however, did not confine her argument against the pipeline to oil demand.
She also echoed Premier David Eby in emphasizing the “tonne of work” she and her government has done with First Nations “to ensure that we can get LNG out and sold.”
“It's not about the pipeline; it's about what's in the pipeline,” she said. “Nations don't want bitumen flowing through their lands. They don't want it, and the coast nations don't want it.
' I don't know if there's a market for the oil anyhow, by the time it gets built.'
— KelownaNow (@KelownaNow) October 10, 2025
BC Minister of Finance @BrendaBaileyBC doubts the commercial viability of the new oil pipeline proposed by @ABDanielleSmith. pic.twitter.com/HoDKuTCwqq
“And my concern is the real economic risk here is that the pressure that we've got a minister from Alberta trotting around meeting with nations right now, putting pressure on them to try and get this done. My concern is this type of pressure will impede the work that we've been doing on getting LNG out to the coast.”
She added: “These are real projects with real proponents. You know, that's not the case in what's happening in Alberta. The only proponent we have is Danielle Smith. So the real economic risk here is what's happening in Alberta.”
In her interview with NowMedia, Bailey also discussed:
Her efforts to bring down the province’s deficit and keep debt in check
The competition for investment and the “uncertainty” created by Donald Trump’s tariffs
Eby’s “near-death experience” of almost losing the election, which prompted him to try to “do better for businesses”
The importance of BC’s taxes, which she said are doing “helpful” things
Airbnb restrictions, which she said are “the right decision,” though “not right for everyone”
The “huge amount of work” going on to help BC’s forestry industry
Earlier this week, NowMedia also interviewed the BC Conservatives’ small business and innovation critic, Gavin Dew.
Premier David Eby’s threat yesterday to fight against and block Alberta’s most valuable asset from export off of Canada’s northwest coast was both un-Canadian and unconstitutional.
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) October 7, 2025
There is no universe where Alberta will tolerate being landlocked in our own country by our… https://t.co/xF3SjLB1k1
He accused Eby of “playing politics” over energy infrastructure projects, including pipelines, which he said were the “fundamental sectors that drive wealth in our country.”
“British Columbians are fed up,” he said. “They're broke. They're hungry. They want jobs. They want opportunity. They want other people to have jobs and opportunity.”
He added that he worries, however, that Eby is “going to squander the moment.”
That interview can be watched here.
