Renegade UCP MLA Drew Barnes took a shot at Premier Jason Kenney’s $7.5-billion “corporate welfare” deal to the Keystone XL pipeline expansion project Thursday, comparing it to the deal NDP Premier Rachel Notley gave to rail car companies to transport oil..Barnes, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, made the comment to Western Standard Podcast Editor Cory Morgan during an interview..“The $1.5 billion that Premier Kenney put into the (Keystone) pipeline is in great jeopardy now. It was an ill-fated attempt,” Barnes said..“Let’s not forget that Rachel Notley and her oil-by-rail was another $2-billion loss that the NDP had just put us in. Let’s not forget that the Progressive Conservatives started the Sturgeon-Redwater upgrader, which I think was just a $5-billion write-down on last year’s budget, and some economists are estimating this could be a $26-billion loss to Alberta families when all is said and done..In a follow-up interview, Barnes added: “Government needs to be right out of the business of being in business so more tax money can be used for health, social services and education.”.Barnes, a member of the Fair Deal panel, has been a frequent thorn in Kenney’s side, opposing the premier on numerous issues. He has even asked Kenney to appoint him as Minister of Autonomy, a request which has not been granted..He has also recently called on Kenney to end the COVID-19 lockdown..Alberta has billions of dollars tied up in the now-cancelled Keystone project, with $1.5 billion of taxpayers’ money handed to operator TC Energy already, along with $6-billion in loan guarantees..Kenney told a press conference last week he had “no regrets” about staking so much taxpayers’ money on the project..“Any responsible government would have made that decision or the project would have died last year,” said Kenney..Kenney has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help him get Alberta’s money back..President Joe Biden cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline expansion project of the first day he took office, January 20..During the Democratic primaries and campaign, Biden vowed to kill the pipeline, large portions of which have already been built in Alberta. He made the vow before Alberta invested it’s money..Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, have also said in the past they would put an end to fracking, a promise they did not repeat during the campaign..The Keystone pipeline runs from Alberta to refineries in Illinois and Texas..The new pipeline would have run from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
Renegade UCP MLA Drew Barnes took a shot at Premier Jason Kenney’s $7.5-billion “corporate welfare” deal to the Keystone XL pipeline expansion project Thursday, comparing it to the deal NDP Premier Rachel Notley gave to rail car companies to transport oil..Barnes, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, made the comment to Western Standard Podcast Editor Cory Morgan during an interview..“The $1.5 billion that Premier Kenney put into the (Keystone) pipeline is in great jeopardy now. It was an ill-fated attempt,” Barnes said..“Let’s not forget that Rachel Notley and her oil-by-rail was another $2-billion loss that the NDP had just put us in. Let’s not forget that the Progressive Conservatives started the Sturgeon-Redwater upgrader, which I think was just a $5-billion write-down on last year’s budget, and some economists are estimating this could be a $26-billion loss to Alberta families when all is said and done..In a follow-up interview, Barnes added: “Government needs to be right out of the business of being in business so more tax money can be used for health, social services and education.”.Barnes, a member of the Fair Deal panel, has been a frequent thorn in Kenney’s side, opposing the premier on numerous issues. He has even asked Kenney to appoint him as Minister of Autonomy, a request which has not been granted..He has also recently called on Kenney to end the COVID-19 lockdown..Alberta has billions of dollars tied up in the now-cancelled Keystone project, with $1.5 billion of taxpayers’ money handed to operator TC Energy already, along with $6-billion in loan guarantees..Kenney told a press conference last week he had “no regrets” about staking so much taxpayers’ money on the project..“Any responsible government would have made that decision or the project would have died last year,” said Kenney..Kenney has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help him get Alberta’s money back..President Joe Biden cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline expansion project of the first day he took office, January 20..During the Democratic primaries and campaign, Biden vowed to kill the pipeline, large portions of which have already been built in Alberta. He made the vow before Alberta invested it’s money..Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, have also said in the past they would put an end to fracking, a promise they did not repeat during the campaign..The Keystone pipeline runs from Alberta to refineries in Illinois and Texas..The new pipeline would have run from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
