Faced with clear evidence the Liberal government has a detailed plan to transition energy workers into janitors and other occupations, it was no surprise Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley needed a week to assemble her thoughts about the so-called "Just Transition.".After all, what could she possibly say?.First, there was nothing 'just' about it. A ministerial cheat-sheet came right out and said it: “The transition to a low-carbon economy will have an uneven impact across sectors, occupations and regions.” And although it would affect only about 3% of the workforce nationally, “The oil and gas sector in particular is a large contributor to the GDP of Alberta … at 27.3% ... affecting about 187,000 workers in Alberta.”.Second, it was also her boss’s policy: Support for the Just Transition was part of the deal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made with Prime Minister Trudeau, as his price for propping up the Liberals after the 2021 voter rejection that left the Liberals in a continued minority. The Alberta NDP maintains a pretense they’re their own people, but the truth is they’re a branch office for the national party..Unfortunately, it soon became clear the cheat-sheet was no boys-in-short-pants staffer hoax. (Seriously, rig-workers transitioning to custodial jobs for less than half the wages? Even for the oh-so superior Liberals, that’s a bit rich. She must have been hoping. But there it was, on Page 68 of the ministerial backgrounder.).And then to remove all doubt, Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson stepped up to own it..Back to square one. It was all true: Under federal threat were the jobs of 187,000 Alberta oil and gas workers — some of them union members..What had Jagmeet been thinking?.Silence was no longer an option for Ms. Notley..So in the face of this legislative broadside from Prime Minister Trudeau, she did the only thing she could do: She returned fire at Premier Danielle Smith, accusing her of ‘jaw-dropping levels of incompetence’ and leading a government that was “asleep at the wheel.”. Smith movie"It's clear by now that Albertans have lost their patience with Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh and Rachel Notley." .That fizzled. The Just Transition plan has been quietly percolating since Trudeau went to Paris in 2015. Smith has been premier for three months..Then, as it was now, it's pretty clear everybody was starting to understand why the Alberta Sovereignty Act was looking good all of a sudden, she found religion..Pulling herself up to her full height, she took a deep breath and urged her friends in Ottawa to … to … not go so fast..“My view is that the federal government has to put the brakes completely on its legislative plans for this spring with respect to the sustainable jobs legislation….”.In other words, ‘Do whatever you like in June, but please don’t make me fight an election on this.’.Hard as it is for me to imagine myself as an NDP leader, I must say in all fairness, I would have said much the same. What else was there?.I would have expected the rebuke that Smith handed her. “I don’t want to pause just transition until after the election. I want it gone forever, dead on arrival, a distant bad memory.”.And for good measure, she reminded Notley Jagmeet Singh was still her boss. That would be the Jagmeet Singh who has so far failed to come to her aid in any meaningful way. From which one can deduce how much he will come to the aid of anybody — in Alberta or anywhere else — who’s lining up for their dustpan and broom..I actually feel sorry for Rachel Notley. After all the provisos and the considerations are declared, there is still only one proper response for an Alberta leader to any federal proposal that will gut the province. Alberta will fight. And Alberta will be right..In other words, if she wants to be taken seriously in this election, she just needs to say 'No!'.'No, if I lead Alberta, I will not accept the Just Transition. I will fight you in court. I will not help your bureaucrats. And whatever it takes, I will stand up for Albertans and I will not see them robbed. I'll even use Danielle Smith's Sovereignty Act, if I have to!".This is what Danielle Smith has said..But it’s the one thing Rachel Notley can’t say.
Faced with clear evidence the Liberal government has a detailed plan to transition energy workers into janitors and other occupations, it was no surprise Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley needed a week to assemble her thoughts about the so-called "Just Transition.".After all, what could she possibly say?.First, there was nothing 'just' about it. A ministerial cheat-sheet came right out and said it: “The transition to a low-carbon economy will have an uneven impact across sectors, occupations and regions.” And although it would affect only about 3% of the workforce nationally, “The oil and gas sector in particular is a large contributor to the GDP of Alberta … at 27.3% ... affecting about 187,000 workers in Alberta.”.Second, it was also her boss’s policy: Support for the Just Transition was part of the deal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made with Prime Minister Trudeau, as his price for propping up the Liberals after the 2021 voter rejection that left the Liberals in a continued minority. The Alberta NDP maintains a pretense they’re their own people, but the truth is they’re a branch office for the national party..Unfortunately, it soon became clear the cheat-sheet was no boys-in-short-pants staffer hoax. (Seriously, rig-workers transitioning to custodial jobs for less than half the wages? Even for the oh-so superior Liberals, that’s a bit rich. She must have been hoping. But there it was, on Page 68 of the ministerial backgrounder.).And then to remove all doubt, Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson stepped up to own it..Back to square one. It was all true: Under federal threat were the jobs of 187,000 Alberta oil and gas workers — some of them union members..What had Jagmeet been thinking?.Silence was no longer an option for Ms. Notley..So in the face of this legislative broadside from Prime Minister Trudeau, she did the only thing she could do: She returned fire at Premier Danielle Smith, accusing her of ‘jaw-dropping levels of incompetence’ and leading a government that was “asleep at the wheel.”. Smith movie"It's clear by now that Albertans have lost their patience with Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh and Rachel Notley." .That fizzled. The Just Transition plan has been quietly percolating since Trudeau went to Paris in 2015. Smith has been premier for three months..Then, as it was now, it's pretty clear everybody was starting to understand why the Alberta Sovereignty Act was looking good all of a sudden, she found religion..Pulling herself up to her full height, she took a deep breath and urged her friends in Ottawa to … to … not go so fast..“My view is that the federal government has to put the brakes completely on its legislative plans for this spring with respect to the sustainable jobs legislation….”.In other words, ‘Do whatever you like in June, but please don’t make me fight an election on this.’.Hard as it is for me to imagine myself as an NDP leader, I must say in all fairness, I would have said much the same. What else was there?.I would have expected the rebuke that Smith handed her. “I don’t want to pause just transition until after the election. I want it gone forever, dead on arrival, a distant bad memory.”.And for good measure, she reminded Notley Jagmeet Singh was still her boss. That would be the Jagmeet Singh who has so far failed to come to her aid in any meaningful way. From which one can deduce how much he will come to the aid of anybody — in Alberta or anywhere else — who’s lining up for their dustpan and broom..I actually feel sorry for Rachel Notley. After all the provisos and the considerations are declared, there is still only one proper response for an Alberta leader to any federal proposal that will gut the province. Alberta will fight. And Alberta will be right..In other words, if she wants to be taken seriously in this election, she just needs to say 'No!'.'No, if I lead Alberta, I will not accept the Just Transition. I will fight you in court. I will not help your bureaucrats. And whatever it takes, I will stand up for Albertans and I will not see them robbed. I'll even use Danielle Smith's Sovereignty Act, if I have to!".This is what Danielle Smith has said..But it’s the one thing Rachel Notley can’t say.
