The president of Malaysian energy company Petronas has aired his concerns over a proposed $10-billion LNG project to be based near Prince Rupert, threatening to pull the venture.
But British Columbia's premier Christy Clark called the quotes from Petronas CEO Shamsul Abbas – accusing the province of "uncertainty, delay and short vision" in its taxing and regulation – a negotiation tactic, and said she she's hopeful the deal will go ahead.
"Remember this, we're in the process of negotiations," Clark said in Vancouver on Thursday (video above). "And what Petronas is doing is standing up to try and get the absolute best deal that they can get for their shareholders.
"That's what they should do. What we're doing at the negotiating table, is trying to get the best deal for British Columbians and for Canadians. That's part of the process.
"I know they see the assets in British Columbia as incredibly valuable and a really important part of the company's future."
Video/Files: The Canadian Press