Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh hurt Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s chances of becoming premier because he supports a just transition for oil and gas workers. .“And now Singh has put Notley in an epic bind by forcing her to take a position on the issue of energy sector jobs right before a provincial election,” said Rempel Garner in a Friday blog post. .The blog post said Notley is hoping for a major win in the Alberta election. It said recent polls show this win could be possible. .The Alberta NDP would form a majority government if an election took place now, according to December 3 projections by 338Canada. .READ MORE: Projections show Alberta NDP to win majority government if election held now.The projections said the Alberta NDP would win a total of 46 seats, an increase from 24 in 2019. They said the Alberta United Conservative Party would obtain 41 seats, a decrease from 63. .No other parties would win a seat in the Alberta Legislature. The other parties the projections cited were the Alberta Party, the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, the Alberta Liberals, and the Alberta Greens. .Rempel Garner said what the polls indicate is a win rides on swing voters who might not trust Notley on job security for energy sector workers. Enter Singh, who Rempel Garner calls “the NDP’s anti-oil and gas federal party leader.” .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Singh announced they would table a bill purporting to transition workers in the energy sector to other fields. No details of the just transition bill were provided. .Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Tuesday she's concerned about the just transition. .READ MORE: Smith claims 'just transition' signals the elimination of jobs in the oil and gas sector.“Just transition is the language that they used when they phased out the coal industry," said Smith. .“If they wanted to talk about sustainable jobs, that’s completely different.".The blog post went on to say the just transition is being viewed as an assault on Alberta’s hundreds of thousands of energy workers in many parts of the province. It said most Albertans want to see government action on climate change. .Many Albertans are employed by the oil and gas sector. This means they are attuned to carbon energy prices being inelastic. .If Notley supports the just transition bill, the blog post said it might push away swing voters, particularly in Calgary. If she opposes the bill, it said she risks alienating the far-left wing of the Alberta NDP, who she needs for fundraising and volunteers. .Notley attempted to resolve the situation by saying the bill needed to include federal funding for technology reducing carbon emissions. The problems with this approach is Singh entered into a supply and confidence agreement with Trudeau on the condition the Canadian government phase out federal funding to the energy sector. .Having a membership in the Alberta NDP includes one for the federal party. The blog post said Notley cannot distance herself from Singh’s push for the bill. .Rempel Garner said it allows the Alberta United Conservative Party “with a degree of truth, to claim Notley's party endorses Jagmeet Singh in propping up Justin Trudeau's (highly unpopular in Alberta) Liberal government on the condition that they screw over oil and gas sector workers.” While that places Notley in a terrible position, she said it's a boon for Trudeau. .Should the legislation give the Alberta UCP an issue with which to win, the blog post said he secures another right-wing foil to build support with swing voters across Canada. Should the NDP win, it said he will have less vocal opposition from the Office of the Premier of Alberta to contend with. .The blog post concluded by saying Trudeau’s announcement was likely designed to provoke a zero-sum debate on the energy sector and climate change. .“If Jagmeet Singh had any political sense whatsoever, he would see all these pitfalls and rethink his approach,” said Rempel Garner. .“Instead, he might just have re-elected Premier Danielle Smith and put his job as NDP party leader in question after the next federal election.”
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh hurt Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s chances of becoming premier because he supports a just transition for oil and gas workers. .“And now Singh has put Notley in an epic bind by forcing her to take a position on the issue of energy sector jobs right before a provincial election,” said Rempel Garner in a Friday blog post. .The blog post said Notley is hoping for a major win in the Alberta election. It said recent polls show this win could be possible. .The Alberta NDP would form a majority government if an election took place now, according to December 3 projections by 338Canada. .READ MORE: Projections show Alberta NDP to win majority government if election held now.The projections said the Alberta NDP would win a total of 46 seats, an increase from 24 in 2019. They said the Alberta United Conservative Party would obtain 41 seats, a decrease from 63. .No other parties would win a seat in the Alberta Legislature. The other parties the projections cited were the Alberta Party, the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, the Alberta Liberals, and the Alberta Greens. .Rempel Garner said what the polls indicate is a win rides on swing voters who might not trust Notley on job security for energy sector workers. Enter Singh, who Rempel Garner calls “the NDP’s anti-oil and gas federal party leader.” .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Singh announced they would table a bill purporting to transition workers in the energy sector to other fields. No details of the just transition bill were provided. .Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Tuesday she's concerned about the just transition. .READ MORE: Smith claims 'just transition' signals the elimination of jobs in the oil and gas sector.“Just transition is the language that they used when they phased out the coal industry," said Smith. .“If they wanted to talk about sustainable jobs, that’s completely different.".The blog post went on to say the just transition is being viewed as an assault on Alberta’s hundreds of thousands of energy workers in many parts of the province. It said most Albertans want to see government action on climate change. .Many Albertans are employed by the oil and gas sector. This means they are attuned to carbon energy prices being inelastic. .If Notley supports the just transition bill, the blog post said it might push away swing voters, particularly in Calgary. If she opposes the bill, it said she risks alienating the far-left wing of the Alberta NDP, who she needs for fundraising and volunteers. .Notley attempted to resolve the situation by saying the bill needed to include federal funding for technology reducing carbon emissions. The problems with this approach is Singh entered into a supply and confidence agreement with Trudeau on the condition the Canadian government phase out federal funding to the energy sector. .Having a membership in the Alberta NDP includes one for the federal party. The blog post said Notley cannot distance herself from Singh’s push for the bill. .Rempel Garner said it allows the Alberta United Conservative Party “with a degree of truth, to claim Notley's party endorses Jagmeet Singh in propping up Justin Trudeau's (highly unpopular in Alberta) Liberal government on the condition that they screw over oil and gas sector workers.” While that places Notley in a terrible position, she said it's a boon for Trudeau. .Should the legislation give the Alberta UCP an issue with which to win, the blog post said he secures another right-wing foil to build support with swing voters across Canada. Should the NDP win, it said he will have less vocal opposition from the Office of the Premier of Alberta to contend with. .The blog post concluded by saying Trudeau’s announcement was likely designed to provoke a zero-sum debate on the energy sector and climate change. .“If Jagmeet Singh had any political sense whatsoever, he would see all these pitfalls and rethink his approach,” said Rempel Garner. .“Instead, he might just have re-elected Premier Danielle Smith and put his job as NDP party leader in question after the next federal election.”