Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seeking to appeal to an “extreme base” through the federal government’s so-called “just transition” proposal.
In a wide-ranging press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the premier addressed Ottawa’s pledge to prioritize “just transition” legislation this spring.
Smith said her response would be different if the government was talking about sustainable jobs, but that’s not the language Ottawa is using.
“‘Just transition’ is language that they use when they phase out the coal industry. It is a social justice term,” she said.
“To use that terminology, they’re virtue signaling to an extreme base that is openly advocating to shut down oil or natural gas.”
“Just transition” emerged from the 2015 Paris Agreement, an international climate change treaty. The goal is to reduce the harm to workers as economies move from high-carbon activities to a green economy.
Last week, federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Ottawa would move ahead this spring with legislation to provide a framework for the transition plan. He said it would provide incentive for workers to make a seamless transition to a less carbon-intensive economy.
Wilkinson said the concern won’t be a lack of jobs but finding workers to fill the long-term needs in the changing energy landscape.
Alberta environment minister Sonja Savage also called the term “divisive,” telling CBC on Sunday that a “just transition” is a “non-starter” in her province.
Smith said there’s “big threat” that Trudeau will phase out the oil sands through the legislation. She said she’d be happy to talk with her federal counterparts about sustainable jobs in carbon tech and hydrogen.
“This is not about phasing out any of these jobs, it’s about growing them and expanding the opportunity for oil and natural gas workers and that’s the kind of language I would like to hear the prime minister use.”
In 2017, Trudeau said Canada would have to “phase out” its oil sands.
And after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to Canada in August asking for liquified natural gas (LNG), Trudeau claimed there’s “never been a strong business case” for LNG exports from Canada’s East coast to Europe.
Pointing to these statements, Smith said she takes Trudeau seriously.
“This kind of targeted attack on our industry — it doesn’t lend itself to cooperative federalism,” she said. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
