Rachel Notley, in a Global TV News interview, was quoted as saying Alberta is the “embarrassing cousin that no one wants to talk about” when it comes to Alberta’s environmental record and her plan to improve it.
For Notley to continue with such insinuations would neglect the progress and strong track record that Alberta has with the environment.
For example, does Notley fail to realize that the province has drastically lowered greenhouse gas emissions emissions per barrel of oilsands produced, by 30% over the last 25 years? That
Canada’s first wind farm was built in Alberta in 1993? Or that Alberta is the first North American jurisdiction to put a price on carbon for all industrial emitters?
Additionally, Alberta’s environment minister is not ruling out a carbon tax as the province grapples with the impact of vehicle emissions on climate change and air quality.
Shannon Phillips says the province’s new climate change panel, headed by Andrew Leach, will be “taking a hard look” at other jurisdictions to see whether “incentives and disincentives” should be used to reduce the impact of vehicle emissions on the environment.
“The panel will have a look at those initiatives and assess whether they make sense for Alberta,” Phillips said in an interview.
“We’re really cognizant of the hit to the pocketbook a number of these could involve for Albertans and that’s why the panel is looking at all the best practices. We’ll make the final determination based on economic conditions and the kind of things Albertans tell us they have an appetite for.”
With the province reeling from a major downturn in the oil and gas industry, the last thing Albertans need at this moment is more taxes. Especially when nearly half of Albertans say they’re living paycheque to paycheque, while most have not saved enough for retirement, a Canadian Payroll Association survey finds.
At this point, one may wonder (even the most ardent NDP supporter), if Notley and the Alberta NDP actually do have the best interests of Albertans at heart?