Jason Kenney
UCP Leadership Candidate
October 5, 2017 (Calgary, Alberta)—Today, Jason Kenney responded to TransCanada’s cancellation of Energy East, calling on the Alberta NDP to cancel its planned increase to their job-killing carbon tax, and demanded that the federal government remove upstream and downstream emissions tests from National Energy Board pipeline assessments.
Kenney also reaffirmed his commitment to hold a referendum that would force the federal government to renegotiate Canada’s unfair equalization formula, which punishes Alberta for being rich in non-renewable resources.
“Energy East was an opportunity to make Canada energy independent, instead of importing conflict oil from countries that fund terrorism. The announcement of TransCanada to cancel Energy East is a reflection of the Trudeau Liberals undermining Alberta’s energy sector and is a clear reaction to the National Energy Board’s (NEB) overreach. The mandate of the NEB that expanded the review of Energy East to include upstream and downstream production is a violation of Alberta’s constitutional jurisdiction to regulate its own production.”
“I’ve always said I would repeal the NDP’s job-killing carbon tax as Bill 1 in a United Conservative Government, and I will keep that promise. But we know the NDP won’t do that right now, which is why I’m challenging Premier Notley to Notley kill the planned 150 per cent increase in Alberta’s job-killing carbon tax.
“The NDP told Albertans that their job-killing carbon would provide the so-called “social license” for pipelines to get built. Since the job-killing carbon tax was implemented Alberta has lost jobs, investment has fled, and, as evidence today, pipelines will not be built. I challenge the Premier to send a clear sign that Alberta will not tolerate this assault on our economy.”