MLAs bury hatchet on alleged altercation

The Wildrose MLA who was the target of an apparent threatening motion by an NDP MLA said Thursday it’s all water under the bridge.

The official Opposition cried foul Wednesday after CalgaryHawkwood NDP MLA Michael Connolly verbally sparred with Strathmore-Brooks Wildrose MLA Derek Fildebrandt as the two left the legislature.

Wildrose whip Jason Nixon said it culminated in an apparent punching motion toward his colleague, and said his party was in touch with the Speaker’s office and sergeant-at-arms over the incident.

After viewing security footage Thursday, Fildebrandt said it is time to move on, “and get on with the real business Albertans expect us to be doing here.”

“I’ve got bigger fish to fry here than this kind of thing,” he said.

“We need this place focused on the priorities for Albertans, not schoolyard politics.”

Fildebrandt said Connolly had called to apologize, and he had accepted.

Moving on seems to be the only point on which the government and Opposition agreed.

Government whip Estefania Cortes-Vargas also viewed the footage Thursday morning and said Connolly made no threatening motion toward Fildebrandt.

If anything, Cortes-Vargas said, her NDP colleague adopted a defensive position during the verbal altercation.

Either way, she said Fildebrandt and Connolly have talked and are moving toward respectful conversation.

“Situations like this are rare and I think it’s new for everybody,” she said.

“We need to move on. The most important part is serving Albertans.”

Premier Rachel Notley is currently on a trade mission in Asia, but deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said she spoke Wednesday with Connolly.

“He regrets what happened and he reinforced to me he apologized, and I accept that,” Hoffman said.

“I expect it will not happen again.”