The NDP is getting testy in lead-up to election
Notley’s team pushing through legislation at furious pace and challenging adversaries
The Alberta legislature is backed up.
Like a drain or other piece of plumbing that’s clogged.
The government has been stuffing so many major bills down the legislative spout the past few weeks, it was bound to get jammed.
Consequently, the fall sitting will run longer than scheduled. Rather than wrapping up Thursday, it will overflow into next week.
It’s just as messy as it sounds. MLAs are getting tired and testy. And a little goofy.
On Tuesday, the NDP complained that United Conservative Party MLA Tany Yao made a “threatening gesture” to NDP MLA Thomas Dang.
Yao made an “I’m watching you” motion with his fingers, pointing to his own eyes and then aiming them at Dang.
NDP house leader Brian Mason raised a formal complaint called a point of privilege against Yao for making a “deliberate attempt to intimidate” Dang.
If this is sounding like a schoolyard kerfuffle, that’s because it is.
On Wednesday, Yao apologized and the matter was closed. But just wait for the next silly blowup, because there are bound to be more.
The MLAs are so close to their holiday break they can smell turkey and stuffing. It’s Christmas Eve and they’re as excited as toddlers — but with less self-control.
They still have a mountain of legislation to climb first, thanks to the NDP government’s fullspeed-ahead agenda.
This is not a government moderating things as it heads into the final year of its mandate. This is a government introducing major pieces of legislation inside the assembly while it announces major new policy outside.
Last week, there was Bill 30, an act to “protect” working Albertans, followed by Bill 31, a “better deal” for Alberta consumers.
And this week, we have Bill 32, an act to “strengthen” democracy in Alberta.
Tuesday, it announced a new $1.4-billion fund to help Alberta industries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
They followed that Wednesday with a new framework of regulations to reduce greenhouse gases from the largest of emitters by encouraging them to invest in cleaner technologies.
Alberta’s NDP government is on something of a legislative and policy gallop these days — and the UCP is trying to keep up.
You have to feel a bit sorry for the official Opposition as it scrambles to react to the government’s daily flood of announcements. The UCP still hasn’t had time, for example, to make a detailed response to Bill 32.
This is on top of the government’s long list of bills already passed, including legislation dealing with the sale of cannabis, the protection of convenience store workers and the support of gay-straight alliances in schools.
This is not a government coasting into the “red zone,” the 12 months before the next provincial election.
The NDP is sprinting forward — with its elbows up.
On Tuesday, Mason lodged a formal complaint with the Speaker of the Legislature alleging UCP Leader Jason Kenney misused caucus resources. Specifically, Mason said it appeared Kenney, not yet an MLA, used UCP caucus staff to record a fundraising video for the UCP. Mason’s complaint letter helpfully included a photograph (presumably taken by an enterprising NDP staffer) of Kenney in front of a video camera on the legislative grounds while two staffers stand nearby.
The UCP strenuously denied any wrongdoing, pointing out one staff member is on a leave of absence while the other was just dropping something off.
This isn’t exactly a scandal of Watergate proportions. But it is an indication of how the NDP plans to play aggressively the next 17 months or so heading to the next election.
On Wednesday, when the Saskatchewan government of Brad Wall banned workers with Alberta licence plates from all new road projects — in retaliation for a supposed ban on Saskatchewan workers in Alberta — the NDP government reacted quickly and undiplomatically.
“Brad Wall needs to smarten up and he has one week to kill this ridiculous restriction, or we’re going to be taking him to court,” said Deron Bilous, Alberta’s minister of economic development, who denied there was any ban on Saskatchewan workers here.
Alberta’s NDP government is not playing nice with its opponents, inside the province or out.
If you think everyone’s a bit tired and testy now, just wait until we’re in the pre-election red zone.