BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson on Thursday called on the BC NDP to finally get behind the Trans Mountain pipeline project after they suffered another court loss when the Supreme Court of Canada instantly rejected their legal argument.

Wilkinson is also demanding that NDP Attorney General David Eby come clean about all taxpayer dollars spent obstructing the project.

“John Horgan and the NDP have continued their losing streak with the courts today after the Supreme Court of Canada rejected David Eby’s bogus legal argument,” said MLA Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal Leader. “John Horgan knew the federal government held clear jurisdiction over the pipeline but he spent millions of dollars just in political posturing. When will the NDP stop the political games and let British Columbians get to work on a project supported by a majority of people in our province?”

Government documents reveal that as of March 31, 2019, the NDP had spent nearly $1 million in taxpayer dollars on external legal fees alone.

“David Eby must come clean with British Columbians about how many taxpayer dollars he has wasted on this anti-pipeline crusade to date,” added Wilkinson. “British Columbians deserve to know how much has been spent and how many hospital beds or units of affordable housing those tax dollars could have funded instead.”

“This has been a total waste of B.C. taxpayer money by the NDP. British Columbians deserve better,” he said.

PREMIER John Horgan, in response to the Supreme Court of Canada ruling regarding the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, said: “Clearly, we are disappointed by the decision, but this does not reduce our concerns regarding the potential of a catastrophic oil spill on our coast.

“Our government takes our responsibility to defend the interests of British Columbians seriously. When it comes to protecting our coast, our environment and our economy, we will continue do all we can within our jurisdiction.”

George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, added: “The Province has been reviewing the conditions attached to the provincial environmental certificate as directed by the B.C. Court of Appeal’s decision last fall. Today’s decision provides some further context for that work.

“We remain concerned about the risks posed by diluted bitumen, and we will continue to do all we can to defend our environment, our coast and the tens of thousands of jobs that rely on them.”