Proclaimed into law hours after Premier Jason Kenney and his cabinet were sworn into office, Bill 12 will be a last resort for the province rather than a first step in its ongoing battle with B.C. over expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, he told reporters Wednesday.

Called the Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act, and better known as the ‘turn off the taps’ legislation, the bill was created by the previous NDP government, but not proclaimed into law until Tuesday.

It gives Alberta the ability to curtail oil shipments leaving the province.

“We did this to have the power to protect Alberta,” Kenney said at a news conference in Edmonton.

“To protect our ability to get full value for our resources should circumstances require.”

B.C. Attorney General David Eby confirmed Wednesday his office filed a court injunction against Bill 12, challening its constitutionality.

B.C. Premier John Horgan told reporters he is "heartened by Premier Kenney's openness to dialogue."

"I've talked regularly to the prime minister about this so I think there is an opportunity for the three governments to find a way forward, but there is a lot of work to do," he said.

"What we're focused on right now is the unacceptably high retail price for gasoline in the Lower Mainland. And that problem needs to be resolved and we all need to work on that together."

Rachel Notley, leader of Alberta's Official Opposition, addressed reporters soon after Kenney and called his proclomation of the bill a short-sighted move.

"By proclaiming Bill 12 now, Premier Kenney has effectively removed the legislation from the protective fence in which it had been shielded," she said.

"And it has now made it vulnerable to legal challenges that could render it useless for a very long period of time. He has literally ... taken what could be perceived by some as a weapon and blown it up on the launchpad."

Notley said she urged Kenney not to proclaim the bill when the two met after the April 16 election.

"By his actions (Tuesday), he has made it clear he is more interested in optics than getting the job done. He's a bit like a gunslinger who is swaggering down the streets waving his gun, after intentionaly taking the bullets out of it," she said.

"Premier Kenney has taken one of the biggest weapons we had and essentially set it up to be decommissioned before it ever might be used."

Kenney said he spoke to B.C. Premier John Horgan by phone on Tuesday and called the conversation a respectful one.

“I stated our position and he stated his, and I underscored for the premier it is not our intention to use the powers in this legislation at this point, but that our proclamation of Bill 12 underscores that we are serious about it,” he said.

“That this is not some bluff, that if there is an obstruction we will protect the value of Alberta’s resources.”

Kenney added he will send a letter to Horgan in the coming days outlining “the measure taken and the statements made by their government which we believe constitute a campaign of obstruction.”

The two also plan to meet in Vancouver or Victoria ahead of the Western Premier’s Conference in June.

B.C. has been opposed to expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, running from northern Alberta to the B.C. Lower Mainland, since Horgan took power in 2017. 

The proposed expansion would nearly triple its capacity, going from about 300,000 barrels per day to about 890,000 barrels per day.

Kenney pointed out on Wednesday the pipeline has been transporting oil to the west coast since 1953.

“Without any significant environmental hazard or incident, fuelling the economy of the Lower Mainland for decade after decade,” he said.

“And now it’s time to expand that pipeline for the benefit all Canadians, but mostly for the benefit of British Columbians.”

Gas prices in the B.C. Lower Mainland have hovered around $1.70 per litre in recent weeks.

Kenney and Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage are also scheduled to travel to Ottawa on Thursday to speak to the Senate Energy Committtee about Bill C-69, which will affect how major infrastructure projects are assessed and approved, and Bill C-48, which will ban oil tanker traffic on the waters between the tip of Vancouver Island and Alaska.