’Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’.That was the message Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she received from the federal government after they dis-invited her from appearing before the House’s standing committee on environment and sustainable development next week..Smith said she accepted an invitation on behalf of the Alberta government — it was actually postmarked to Energy Minister Brian Jean — and on Thursday she was informed that she wasn’t welcome..“That was the fastest response we’ve ever received from the Feds — apparently they don’t want me to testify about electricity grid reliably or our pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 after all,” she Tweeted. “(I) wonder why?”. Smith letterSmith’s letter to the natural resources committee . Smith’s letter to the natural resources committeeSmith’s letter to the natural resources committee, Page 2 .On Thursday the committee responded: the meeting had been cancelled. No snub intended..The person they really wanted to talk to was Suncor CEO Rich Kruger — formerly of Imperial Oil — "to explain why his company is abandoning its climate targets that had been previously laid out in the face of a climate emergency.".“Mr. Kruger has declined to appear, which does not allow the Committee to move ahead as planned,” it said. .“Moreover, the motion — now moot — that was adopted inviting Mr. Kruger was very specific in terms of the individuals the Committee wished to receive: Rich Kruger and Alberta Ministers Brian Jean and Nathan Neudorf. Should the Committee wish to invite yourself or others in connection with the matter of the upcoming emissions cap on the oil and gas sector, a motion to that effect would need to be presented to the Committee and adopted by a majority of its members.”.It comes a day after Liberal Calgary Skyview MP George Chahal, who chairs the committee, held a press conference — The Western Standard wasn’t invited — branding the premier of spreading “baseless” and “ludicrous” falsehoods through the UCP’s $8-million ad campaign warning of higher electricity bills and freezing in the dark due to the federal draft electricity rules..Chahal blamed the UCP government for increasing power rates by a factor of five times, and called on Smith to cancel both the ‘Tell the Feds’ campaign and the moratorium on renewable energy projects..“Eight million dollars of Alberta taxpayers’ dollars are funding a campaign of misinformation. That’s a problem for me as a Calgarian and as an Albertan,” he said..On Tuesday, Smith penned a note to the clerk of the committee informing them that she would be standing in for Jean and Nathan Neudorf, minister of affordability and utilities, given the “significance” of the issues..“Alberta is committed to reducing emissions and meeting our climate targets. We know that there is a better path forward than the one being imposed by the federal government, one that is safe, reliable, and affordable and will lead to significant emissions reductions,” she wrote..”Alberta’s position on the proposed federal electricity regulations remains unchanged: the regulations are unconstitutional, irresponsibly designed to eliminate (Alberta’s) primary feedstock… As currently written, these regulations will not be implemented in Alberta.”
