Will Jason Kenney stand up for Alberta, or capitulate to Ottawa’s plans to phase out Alberta’s oil and gas industry?
That’s the question thousands of Albertans are asking, following Ottawa’s announcement of a forced transition plan for Alberta’s energy workers. The federal government is now holding consultations on its, “Just Transition,” plan, which include invite-only stakeholder sessions for union leaders and government officials.
Meanwhile the workers and their families that depend on this industry to make ends meet are invited to, “submit their comments by email.”
“It’s a rigged consultation process designed to promote the Trudeau government’s ideological, anti-Alberta agenda,” said Independent MLA Todd Loewen. “When Trudeau expressed his admiration of China’s “basic dictatorship,” this is what he was talking about. Clearly, the Trudeau government wants to do as he once said which was to “phase out” large portions of the Alberta economy and the jobs and the provincial and national economic benefit that goes with it.”
“This is the day we all knew was coming, everyone it seems except Premier Kenney,” said Independent MLA.
Drew Barnes. “In 2019, Albertans voted for a government pledged to stand up for our province and fight back.
Every day since then, Ottawa has moved closer to phasing out oil, and every step of the way Premier Kenney has promised that better days are yet to come.”
“For Albertans, it’s now or never.”
According to Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Market Survey for June, Alberta lost 37,000 full-time jobs last
month. Our unemployment rate jumped to 9.3 per cent, third worst among Canadian provinces, behind only Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. The Canadian unemployment rate fell to 7.8 per cent.
“There is no reason for Alberta to have the third highest unemployment in Canada. Worldwide, oil and gas consumption continues to increase. Alberta has the highest environmental and safety standards. Yet, thousands of our workers remain on the sidelines while our industry serves as Justin Trudeau’s punching bag,” said Loewen. “The best thing we can do for the environment and for the safety and human rights of workers, is displace oil from other parts of the world with Alberta Oil and Gas”.
“Alberta used to be the engine of the Canadian economy. We used to be the leading place to come for those seeking opportunity and a fresh start,” said Barnes. “Those days will never return unless the Premier of Alberta starts standing up for our province and fighting back.”
