Alberta Chief Government Whip Shane Getson said NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and his party have chosen to side with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the planned oil and gas emissions cap. This is because NDP MLAs voted against the Alberta government’s motion to stop the enforcement of the Canadian government’s proposed emissions cap. “No wonder Nenshi is Trudeau’s choice for Alberta,” said Getson in an email to United Conservative Party supporters.“He does his work with not even a second thought of the drastic impact it has on everyday Albertans.”By failing to oppose the emissions cap, Getson said the NDP has “put the political interests of their friends in Ottawa ahead of Albertans’ prosperity.” He added it is a disgrace and an attack on the economy and future. However, he pointed out Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is fighting back. She submitted a motion under the Alberta Sovereignty Act (ASA) to block the emissions cap the government passed on Monday. He noted this is action, not just talk. By making this motion, he said she is “stopping Trudeau’s unconstitutional attack on our resources and fighting for Alberta’s future.”While the Canadian government will be moving forward with the emissions cap, he encouraged people to sign the Alberta UCP’s petition to support Smith’s stance against it. Since this is a fight for the future, he said it needs people’s support now more than ever. Getson concluded by saying people should be strong and free together and show the Canadian government that the Alberta government will not back down. If it thinks it can attack Alberta without consequences, he said it is dead wrong. “We don’t back down — we stand up, we push back, and we win,” he said. The Alberta UCP said in the petition the Canadian government’s emissions cap is a reckless, unconstitutional disaster that will eliminate more than 150,000 jobs, cut oil production by one million barrels per day, and drain billions from the province’s economy. “AND WHEREAS Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party are invoking the Sovereignty Act to Stop Ottawa’s unconstitutional power grab and defend Alberta’s exclusive jurisdiction over its resources,” it said. “AND WHEREAS they are taking further bold action to Fight Ottawa’s regulations with a constitutional challenge to defend Alberta’s rights and jobs.”Therefore, the signatories demanded the Canadian government scrap its emissions cap immediately. As proud Albertans, they said they would not allow it to destroy their jobs, rob their families, and crush their futures. Smith said on Monday by voting against the Alberta government’s motion to prohibit enforcement of the Canadian government’s emissions cap, Nenshi and the NDP “have put the political interests of their friend @JustinTrudeau and boss @theJagmeetSingh ahead of Albertans.”.UPDATED: Smith says Nenshi supporting Trudeau by opposing latest Sovereignty Act motion.She called Nenshi and the NDP “Trudeau’s choice of Alberta.”“Our UCP government will never apologize nor give an inch when it comes to protecting the jobs and prosperity of Alberta families from Ottawa’s anti-energy agenda,” she said.
