It was good to see Alberta Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean stand up and speak during Question Period on Wednesday.Under fire over oil and gas infrastructure cleanup and coal mining, Jean, 62, did what many UCP ministers hesitate to do — he went on the offensive, pushing back against the NDP, who remain formidable opponents in the legislature.Jean is an old-school political buccaneer and parliamentarian — even though, at times, he doesn’t make a lick of sense. UCP ministers should not only support and respect Jean appropriately but also channel his take-no-prisoners attitude. Doing so could turn the tables on the opposition. .“The NDP would have us in caves burning sticks,” Jean said at one point during Question Period.On Wednesday, the NDP also attacked world-renowned energy expert David Yager — the Preston Manning of the oil patch.Yager serves on the board of directors of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER.) He is being linked to rumours suggesting Alberta taxpayers might be left footing the bill for oil and gas infrastructure cleanup.Jean has repeatedly said that no public money will be handed to oil companies for cleanup. .Yet, significant unanswered questions and challenges remain when it comes to remediation. It’s a massive issue — tens of thousands of oil and gas wells sit abandoned across Alberta, not to mention pipelines and facilities.The NDP is doing its job by hammering the UCP on this file.However, regardless of his historical political affiliations, Yager is a top-tier intellectual. The NDP should sit down with him and take notes instead of revealing their ignorance.On other Question Period matters, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange found her voice, offering substantial pushback against the NDP, who continue to allege corruption in health-care service procurement.They call for a public inquiry.The NDP veered off track when they accused the UCP of enabling the current measles outbreak, claiming the party is anti-science and anti-vaccination.
