Notley to address federal cabinet at retreat
Posted Apr 22, 2016 1:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Alberta’s premier will address the federal cabinet this weekend, when it gathers for a retreat in Kananaskis country.
There are reports that Rachel Notley will use the opportunity to lobby the prime minister and his inner circle to support the construction of pipelines to get Alberta’s oil and gas to tidewater.
Keith Brownsey, political scientist at Mount Royal University, calls it a bit of a coup for Notley.
“This happens to cabinet retreats all the time, but they’re usually pollsters. They’re usually political strategists, or they’re individuals with the expertise on a particular issue of one sort or another,” Brownsey said. “What’s unusual about this is that it’s a New Democrat Premier in Alberta, speaking to the Liberal cabinet. That’s remarkable.”
He adds, unlike her former Tory predecessors, Notley realizes she needs to take a conciliatory approach if she wants to get something from Ottawa.
“Notley is taking a very different approach. A much more pragmatic approach, which doesn’t get the blood boiling, but may actually see more results than we’ve had in the past in terms of getting pipelines approved, and other economic benefits for the province.”
Brownsey says Ottawa realizes how valuable the Alberta economy is to the rest of the country, and is open to ideas that will help turn things around.
“[Notley] will bring, perhaps, reluctant Quebec cabinet ministers onside. Perhaps she’ll bring reluctant Ontario ministers onside. She’ll be able to tell these people directly that these pipelines are important not only to Alberta, but to the rest of the country.”
The premier is expected to share what comes out of the three day retreat on Sunday.
