AB Today – Daily Report January 22, 2019

Quotation of the day

“What is clear from research by my team and other leading institutes is that oil sands expansion is inconsistent with preventing warming greater than two degrees celsius. If the NEB is considering climate change, no further expansion of delivery infrastructure from the oil sands should be approved.”

Mark Jaccard, climate-energy economics professor at Simon Fraser University, calls on the ​ ​ ​ National Energy Board to review climate impacts during its reconsideration of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Today in AB

On the schedule

The Legislature will reconvene on March 18 for the government’s final throne speech before the spring election.

Minister, government whip announce they will not seek re-election

Two high-profile NDP MLAs announced Monday they will not be seeking re-election.

Infrastructure Minister Sandra Jansen, the infamous PC floor-crosser representing ​ ​ Calgary—North West, and Government Whip Estefania Cortes-Vargas, the first-term MLA ​ ​ ​ ​ from Strathcona—Sherwood Park, won’t be running for the NDP when the writ drops.

In her exit statement, Jansen praised Premier Rachel Notley’s leadership, but said “after many ​ ​ years in public life” leaving politics is “the right decision for me and my family.”

“Let me say, this is not an easy decision,” Jansen said. “I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish on behalf of my constituents, particularly over these last two years.”

On Monday, her Twitter account was deleted.

After defecting from the PCs to the NDP in 2016, Jansen temporarily brought on extra security from the Executive Protection Unit after receiving death threats. She was outspoken against the ​ ​ ​ abuse hurled her way after saying extremist views within the party pushed her out. ​

Speaking to reporters at the Legislature Monday, Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman called ​ ​ Jansen “a hardworking, fierce woman” and thanked her for her service to Albertans.

Cortes-Vargas’ announcement came just minutes after Jansen’s. Instead of running again, the ​ ​ government whip says she is backing Moira Vane’s nomination for NDP candidate in ​ ​ ​ ​ Strathcona—Sherwood Park. Vane, a lawyer, is currently the chief of staff and special legal adviser to Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley. ​ ​

Jansen and Cortes-Varga are high-profile additions to the growing list of NDP MLAs who are opting out of re-election bids — and add to the still-long list of nominations the governing party must confirm in the coming months.

The party has only nominated candidates in 44 of the province’s 87 ridings, leaving 43 spots still to be filled. Per a recent episode of the Press Gallery podcast, the party is blaming the slow ​ ​ ​ nomination process on the extreme vetting it is doing on its candidates.

Here is a list of the New Democrats who have already bowed out:

● Former party leader and current Government House Leader and Transportation Minister Brian Mason is retiring after two decades as an NDP MLA; ​

● Speaker Robert Wanner announced he would not run again in December; ​ ​ ● Calgary—Varsity MLA and former cabinet minister Stephanie McLean, who made ​ ​ history by being the first sitting MLA to give birth while in office, recently announced she would not seek re-election and instead pursue her law practice; ● Edmonton—Whitemud MLA Bob Turner — who unseated then-health minister and ​ ​ current Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel in the 2015 election — says he will not ​ ​ run again; ● Calgary—Acadia NDP MLA Brandy Payne, who also gave birth while in office, said in ​ ​ April she would not seek re-election so she could spend more time with her family; ● Calgary—Northern Hills NDP MLA Jamie Kleinsteuber announced in August he would ​ ​ not seek re-election; and ● NDP MLA for Calgary—Hawkwood Michael Connolly announced the same in ​ ​ September.

NDP MLA for Spruce Grove—St. Albert Trevor Horne lost the nomination for the redistributed ​ ​ riding of St. Albert to incumbent NDP MLA Marie Renaud in December. It is not clear if Horne ​ ​ will run in another riding.

Other incumbents not running again No matter which party ekes out an electoral victory this spring, the next iteration of the Alberta Legislature will full of fresh faces.

● Calgary—East MLA Robyn Luff — who was elected as an NDP MLA, but left the party ​ ​ last fall and is now sitting as an Independent MLA — stated she will not run again; ● Former Alberta Liberal Party leader Dr. David Swann is retiring from representing the ​ ​ Calgary—Mountain View riding; ● Alberta’s last Progressive Conservative MLA Richard Starke, who did not join the UCP ​ ​ when the PC and Wildrose parties merged, said he was out last November; and ● Four sitting UCP MLAs have also announced they will not be seeking re-election: ○ Livingstone—MacLeod MLA Pat Stier; ​ ​ ○ Grande Prairie—Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale; ​ ​ ○ Little Bow MLA David Schneider; and ​ ​ ○ and Bonnyville—Cold Lake MLA Scott Cyr. ​ ​

Rick Strankman quit the UCP caucus last week to sit as an Independent, but he has not ​ announced whether he will run for another party.

Today’s events

January 19 at 9 a.m. – Lamont to Edmonton ​

A truck convoy calling itself the “Stand Up Canada Yellow Vest Pipeline Rally Phase 2” will meet in Lamont and circle Anthony Henday Drive. The Edmonton Police Service is warning about traffic delays.

January 19 at 11 a.m. – Edmonton ​

Education Minister David Eggen will announce new online learning guides at the Argyll Centre ​ ​ in Edmonton.

January 19 at 11 a.m. – Calgary ​

Premier Rachel Notley will announce a private-sector energy investment at the McDougall ​ ​ Centre in Calgary. The government says the investment was initiated by the province’s “Made-in-Alberta” energy sector diversification plan.

January 19 at 2 p.m. – CFB Edmonton ​

Government of Alberta military liaison Nicole Goehring will announce an expansion of the ​ ​ Department of National Defence’s driver training and testing equivalencies.

Topics of conversation

● The Alberta Advantage Party officially released two new campaign slogans — “Albertans for Alberta” and “Real Leadership. Real Change.” ○ Leader Marilyn Burns said the party, which officially registered with Elections ​ ​ Alberta in November, will begin announcing candidates soon. ○ The party’s policy book includes several electoral reform planks, including holding elections for Alberta senators and allowing recall campaigns.

● UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s chief of staff Matt Wolf appeared on former Wildrose ​ ​ ​ ​ Leader Danielle Smith’s talk radio show to defend Kenney’s living expenses during the ​ ​ ​ ​ time he was an MP in Ottawa. ○ The UCP was forced to respond after Ottawa lawyer Kyle Morrow released ​ ​ documents over the weekend that show Kenney listed his primary Alberta address as Lake Bonavista Retirement Village from April 2013 to June 2015. ○ On Smith’s show, Wolf pointed out taxpayers were never on the hook for Kenney’s Calgary accommodations — the housing allowance he claimed was for his apartment in Ottawa, in accordance with parliamentary rules. ○ Kenney has denied any wrongdoing, saying he lived in the basement of his mother’s home so he could help her out when he was in Calgary.

○ The question as to whether the bungalows in the retirement village have basements seems to be settled in Kenney’s favour — The Star Edmonton reports ​ ​ that some of them do. ​ ○ Morrow has since called on the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy ​ ​ to investigate.

● Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman weighed in Monday, telling reporters she found the ​ ​ allegations “very troubling” and that voters deserve more information. “We’ve seen many conservative housing scandals in the past,” Hoffman said, a reference to the penthouse suite in the federal building — known as the “sky palace” — ordered by former PC premier Alison Redford and to Freedom Conservative Party Leader Derek Fildebrandt ​ ​ ​ renting out his taxpayer-subsidized condo on Airbnb. ○ Hoffman pointed to the fact that Kenney said he has always been a proud Alberta resident, but in 2016 donated $399 to the Progressive Conservative Party of ​ ​ Ontario, something only residents of the province can do. ○ Wolf told CBC that money was a registration fee, not a donation. ​ ​ ​ ○ Hoffman said there should be an investigation, but she hasn’t figured out who should do it yet.

● Stand.Earth filed a legal motion with the National Energy Board calling on the regulatory ​ ​ body to expand the scope of its follow-up review on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to include the project’s future climate impacts. ○ Mike McKinnon, spokesperson for Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd, said ​ ​ ​ expanding the review’s scope is not appropriate. ○ “Deciding the merits of a pipeline on downstream emissions is like judging transmission lines based on how its electricity will be used,” McKinnon said, adding that building a new pipeline to the west coast will not increase oil sands emissions because the NDP’s climate change plan includes a legislated cap on emissions. ○ The National Energy Board will give its final report by February 22.

● Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis has launched a request for proposals for a developer to bring online gambling to the province, per the CBC. ​ ​ ○ Alberta and Saskatchewan are currently the only provinces that do not offer online gambling.

● Oil and gas industry insiders — including one former Kinder Morgan employee — were part of a down-to-the-wire team that advised the federal Liberal government to purchase the $4.5 billion Trans Mountain pipeline last summer, the Globe and Mail reports. ​ ​ ​

● The Canada West Foundation says Alberta is lacking a regulatory framework for geothermal energy, which is making it difficult for the industry to break into the province,

CBC reports. A geothermal plant is currently under construction in Saskatchewan, but ​ ​ none are in the works in Alberta, despite its geothermal potential. ○ Government spokesman Mike McKinnon told the CBC new small-scale and ​ ​ ​ ​ community generation rules came into place as of this month — and that a long-term strategy is still being worked on.

● The Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General has no plans to put televisions into individual cells at the Edmonton Remand Centre, the Edmonton Journal reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ The news comes after a series of sentencing decisions from judges that awarded prisoners more time served due to a lack of mental and physical stimulation in cells.

Funding announcements

● Alberta Agriculture and Forestry gave $750,000 in funding to the Alberta Beef Producers for a three-year pilot program to recycle agricultural plastics. ​ ​

Nominations

Alberta NDP

Incumbents: ● NDP MLA Jessica Littlewood received her party’s nomination for the Fort ​ ​ Saskatchewan—Vegreville riding; ● Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda was again nominated in the riding of ​ ​ Calgary—Cross; ● Parliamentary Secretary for Education Annie McKitrick was acclaimed NDP candidate ​ ​ for Sherwood Park; ● MLA Erin Babcock will be the NDP candidate for the new riding of Spruce ​ ​ Grove—Stony Plain; and ● NDP MLA Bruce Hinkley, who currently represents Wetaskiwin—Camrose, will run as ​ ​ the NDP candidate for Maskwacis—Wetaskiwin.

New candidates: ● Joe Pimlott was nominated as the NDP candidate for Calgary—Peigan; and ​ ● Shawna Gawreluck was nominated for the NDP in the new riding of Morinville—St. ​ Albert.

Green Party ● John Daly was endorsed as the Green Party candidate for Calgary—Shaw. ​

Alberta Party

● Robb Connelly won the Alberta Party candidacy for Leduc—Beaumont; ​ ● Ivan Boles was acclaimed as the Alberta Party candidate for Spruce Grove—Stony ​ Plain; ● Neil Korotash will be the Morinville—St. Albert candidate for the Alberta Party; and ​ ● Grant Berg was named the Grande Prairie candidate for the Alberta Party. ​

Alberta Advantage Party ● Gil Poitras is listed as the Alberta Advantage Party candidate for a nomination meeting ​ scheduled for January 11 in Leduc—Beaumont.

AB Today is written by Catherine Griwkowsky, reporting from Alberta's legislative press gallery.

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