UCP Leader Kenney sets sights on Alta. NDP, federal Liberals
UCP Party members to be door knocking in city today
Jason Kenney took time out of his UCP Caucus fundraising and doorknocking weekend to speak to local media Friday, where he wasted no time firing shots at the NDP and federal Liberals for good measure.
“One of the big problems we have is that the NDP decided to make a huge political alliance with Justin Trudeau and his Ottawa Liberals, that has failed Alberta,” he said.
He told collected media Education Minister David Eggen was “picking a fight” with families and schools in regards to Gay-Straight Alliances and Bill 24, an Act which strengthens those alliances.
“I think David Eggen acts like he is the education czar,” said Kenney. “I think he should be a servant leader instead. And instead of seeking confrontation, he should instead seek co-operation.”
He also criticized the government’s apparent inability to deal with what he said were declining math outcomes in the province.
“Our focus will be on tried, true and tested teaching methods that produce better outcomes to prepare young Albertans for future success, rather than constantly picking political fights.”
He declined to comment on a private member’s bill currently being prepared which would ban gay conversion therapies in the province.
“We haven’t seen the bill,” he said. “We don’t comment on legislation we haven’t seen.”
Kenney also went into detail about what a UCP government would do for the oil and gas industry when it comes to getting those products to market.
“I’ve laid out a fight-back strategy that involves setting up a war room in the Government of Alberta, which is well resourced to respond in real time to all the lies and myths told about our ethical oil and gas industry,” he said.
He said he would push the federal government to strip the charitable status of “foreign-funded special interests” going to court and involved in illegal protests blocking resources. He said he would also call on the federal government to immediately appeal the federal court of appeal decision he thinks is wrongly decided.
“We would impose real sanctions on the New Democrats in Victoria for illegally seeking to block the export of Alberta energy,” he said.
“I would be prepared to actually use the “shut off the taps” legislation if they don’t do something we’ve been proposing for over a year. Instead, what we’ve got is a phoney fight from the NDP.
“We’ll bring a real fight to the government of British Columbia if they continue to attack our vital economic interests.”
He said the issue could result in a UCP government holding a referendum on equalization if the federal government was unable to guarantee coastal market access and a fair price for energy.
“They want us to pay the bills in the federation, but they won’t allow us to develop the wealth that we share with the country,” he said. “We’re prepared, ultimately, to hold a referendum to force binding constitutional negotiations on equalization.”
A Friday night fundraising dinner was planned in Lethbridge, followed by a doorknocking campaign today.
The next Alberta general election will be held between March 1 and May 30, 2019.
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