UCP’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN DETOURS 11,000 KM EAST
UCP Leader Jason Kenney is getting great publicity in India. Maybe he should run there, too.
Kenney is having so many meetings, running to so many places, you’d think he was back stumping rural Alberta in his blue pickup.
But, no, he’s just moved the Alberta election campaign about 11,000 kilometres east.
India is a risky place for Canadian politicians. Ex-premier Alison Redford went there in 2014, on a trip that was supposed to cost $120,000 but ended up soaking taxpayers for $450,000.
Her chief contribution to Alberta’s well-being was a photo of herself at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, looking meekly devout.
And the shot of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and family at the Golden Temple will forever be an icon of Canadian hilarity.
So far, there’s no photo of Kenney barefoot and robed. Wait for it.
Redford and Trudeau were at least government leaders, formally representing their province and their country.
Kenney is neither, but he appears to be busier than both, engaging in discussions on everything from oil exports to immigration, security and foreign policy involving Middle East dictatorships.
He resembles, if you want to get both historical and hysterical about it, a Bourbon duke running around Europe, lining up allies for the ouster of Napoleon.
He is careful to say he’s “leading a delegation from the United Conservative Party,” which is paying part of the cost, along with Kenney himself.
He notified Premier Rachel Notley of this in a letter five days before the trip.
He said he will promote Alberta (i.e. NDP) government policy.
But there’s ample evidence of media and leaders in India being confused about, what, exactly, he is — an Opposition politician, a government leader, a Canadian federal minister, a former minister ... what?
India’s real-life minister for infrastructure, Nitin Gadkari, tweeted: “Met Mr. Jason Kenney, Hon’ble Minister, Alberta, Canada. We discussed about exploring areas of mutual co-operation in infrastructure sector.”
Kenney may be called “honourable,” in the formal sense that he’s a former Privy Councillor, but he is in no way a minister.
A fascinating article in India Today, dated Sept. 18, is headlined: “Buy Canadian crude, dump Iranian oil, says Canadian leader to India.”
The article starts out: “Canada has made a pitch to join the energy market in India ...”
Notley’s New Democrats have been increasingly jumpy about this. By Tuesday, they were furious.
Trade Minister Deron Bilous said the government has ordered provincial trade officials in India to follow up with every person Kenney meets, to make sure he isn’t misrepresenting himself or the province.
Bilous is alarmed that Kenney is talking publicly about issues as touchy as relations with Iran.
“And we thought Alison Redford was arrogant,” he says. “Is this arrogant?”
Bilous feels many Albertans will be upset with Kenney acting like a premier when he hasn’t been voted in.
Here’s a blast from the premier’s office, delivered by Notley emissary Cheryl Oates: “Jason Kenney is in India with no background or understanding of the work Alberta is doing and it seems he’s misrepresented himself to officials in India, as a representative of the Alberta government on official business. His visit is detrimental and disruptive to the good work our official trade office has been doing.”
That’s a very serious allegation, to say that Kenney has specifically identified himself as a minister of the government.
I don’t see any evidence he’s done that. But there’s no question Indians have the impression that he’s a major, active decision-maker.
To read and watch the interviews, in fact, you’d think he was still talking straight out of the Harper cabinet.
It’s important to note that Kenney has not slagged the NDP. Remarkably, he talked about Alberta’s “low taxes” and “efficient power prices.”
We don’t hear much of that when he’s at home.
So what’s wrong with all this? Nothing, according to Kenney and the UCP. He’s just promoting Alberta’s interests.
But Kenney has certainly blurred the line between a friendly foreign visit and a string of distant campaign stops.