OPPOSITION COOLS, DISPUTE STAYS HOT
Much-anticipated Kenney-Notley clash proves less dramatic but more educational
After Jason Kenney spent months promising to bring civility and decorum to the Alberta legislature, the first question period of the new legislative session on Monday afternoon was, um, civil and decorous.
Oh, the government MLAs pounded noisily on their desks, broke into raucous applause and at one point gave the premier a gratuitous standing ovation.
But the official Opposition MLAs under Kenney’s leadership reacted by, figuratively speaking, sitting on their hands. No heckling and no jeering of the government, not even a desk thump when Kenney stood to speak.
This was a remarkable transformation for what was a braying pack of angry Opposition MLAs just last fall.
They are now all graduates of the Kenney obedience school.
Kenney in fact had hoped to bring even more civility to the assembly by getting up from his seat and going over to shake Premier Rachel Notley’s hand before question period began. (You can do that in the House of Commons where Kenney sat as an MP for 19 years — but not in Alberta.)
Premier Rachel Notley said Alberta’s lack of pipeline access to tidewater is maddening as she introduced a motion Monday in support of the Trans Mountain expansion.
“I’m hard-pressed to think of another country that so willingly handcuffs its economy in this way,” she said, adding Alberta is limited to selling oil at a discounted price to the United States.
Legislators from across the political spectrum quibbled over details while they voiced support for the $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan project.
Notley’s motion asked MLAs to support the government’s fight on behalf of Albertans and ensure the pipeline is built. It also called on the federal government to take any necessary legal steps to move the project forward.
Opposition leader Jason Kenney said he supports the bulk of the motion, but the government didn’t go far enough.
I’m hard-pressed to think of another country that so willingly handcuffs its economy in this way.
“We broadly support the strategy, but we think more should be done,” he said.
The United Conservative Party ’s proposed amendments included calling on the federal government to invoke a “declaratory power” under the Constitution Act.
The law allows Ottawa to declare works are “for the general advantage of Canada” and take over their jurisdiction, such as those necessary to build a pipeline.
But government house leader Brian Mason said the amendment doesn’t apply to an interprovincial pipeline and would only muddy the waters.
Alberta Party house leader Greg Clark supported the UCP amendment, asking for the government to be more specific in what it wants from its federal counterparts.
“I will give this government credit for ... what I would call gentle nudging of Ottawa,” Clark said. “They have pushed, but they haven’t pushed nearly hard enough.
“It is not enough for this government to simply threaten another trade war.”
Kenney said building the pipeline is a moral question given Alberta’s high human rights and labour standards.
“Will Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran or Qatar stop exploration, development and shipment of oil and gas on global markets? Absolutely not,” he said.
“As long as there is a growing demand, there will be a supply to meet it. The question then is whether or not ... Alberta will be central to that supply.”
Kenney criticized the B.C. government for what he called a “death by delay” strategy.
He pointed to ongoing court challenges and permit setbacks.
Notley reiterated the message laid out in Thursday’s throne speech, where the NDP threatened Lougheed-era legislation to defend Trans Mountain.
In 1980, then-premier Peter Lougheed passed legislation to reduce Alberta’s oil exports to Ontario by 15 per cent in a retaliatory move against the National Energy Program.
It resulted in the federal government’s renegotiation of the program.
Notley also boasted about her government’s recent actions including the wine ban and the creation of a 19-member task force to consider other potential steps.
“To retaliate against our fellow Canadians is not an easy decision,” she said. “We won’t shy away from doing what is needed.”
Monday ’s debate ended without a vote on the motion or proposed amendments. The legislative assembly adjourned until Tuesday.