Notley to talk climate plan on U.S. visit

Premier Rachel Notley will spend two days this week in Washington, D.C., to promote her government’s climate change plan.

She will meet elected representatives, public policy think-tanks, administration officials and the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. to tell them Alberta has changed. The premier will also deliver a lecture at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Notley said the trip, in the face of a ballooning deficit and credit downgrades, is a chance to explain what’s happening in Alberta postbudget and showcase the province as an “attractive and stable place to do business.”

Her trip isn’t about pipelines, she said.

Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said sharing Alberta’s story is important, but he’s concerned the premier isn’t travelling to Washington to advocate on behalf of the province’s energy sector.

He said the trip would be a good chance for Notley to promote the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project, Keystone XL and the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Notley said she’ll also demonstrate Alberta isn’t the same province, policywise, that people thought of a couple of years ago.

“My visit down there is really about going to a place where many opinion leaders are, who have opinions — based on past actions — about Alberta’s economy ... (and) improve Alberta’s reputation and educate people about the changes we are bringing through climate leadership change,” she said Tuesday.

“The more we can do that, the more it helps us finding new markets around the world.”

The cost of the trip is $32,000.