The UCP government said it will likely wrap up its legislative agenda this week before breaking for summer recess..The government was supposed to finish early next week, but is moving at a good clip, Environment Minister Jason Nixon said Tuesday..“At the pace we’re going, I think there’s a real possibility we’ll be done this week,” he said..“It’s the first day back so let’s see how it progresses.”.The Assembly returned after a one-week break, in which Premier Jason Kenney and key ministers, including Nixon, travelled to Washington, D.C. to pitch Alberta energy..On Wednesday, the day after returning from D.C., Kenney announced he intends to resign as leader of the UCP. The results came after a leadership review revealed the premier had support of just 51.4% of UCP members..Kenney will stay on as leader during the interim. He will not run for the leadership..In an exclusive interview with the Western Standard last week, Kenney said his government achieved 90% of the 375 commitments they made during the campaign. Citing “legal and fiscal reasons,” Kenney said they won’t achieve 100%..In a letter to Kenney Tuesday, NDP leader Rachel Notley says his mandate to “pursue significant change” no longer exists because of his intentions to resign..“Multiple members of your cabinet are possibly on the verge of resignation, and the remainder are there because of your authority, one which is no longer drawn from the requisite support of your party,” she wrote..Speaking to the media Tuesday, Notley said the government must establish a more collaborative approach with the NDP to address Albertan's immediate needs on affordability and health care..They don't have the mandate to pursue "extreme ideological changes," anymore and the premier shouldn't be focused on his "legacy" right now, she said..“If we are not invited to the table to develop real solutions that are supported by Albertans, we will continue to demand action from this government, regardless of who is leading it," her letter concludes.
