Furious at Canada’s commitments at COP26 and the agreement between Quebec and Ottawa on child care, the Premier of Alberta believes that Quebec benefits from preferential treatment.
“In the end, this is not the only time we see what appears to be a two-tier federation,” Jason Kenney lamented during a press briefing alongside Justin Trudeau in Edmonton on Monday.
For him, Alberta is treated as a “second class province” and this is why Quebec obtained in August $ 6 billion unconditionally from Ottawa, while Alberta signed on Monday an agreement of 3.8. billion $ over five years, for 42,500 child care spaces at $ 10 per day.
The attack on the Prime Minister of Alberta made Justin Trudeau jump, who took the place of his counterpart at the microphone to explain that there was no question of “favoritism” or of greater “flexibility” towards Quebec.
“If Alberta already had daycare centers at $ 8 a day, we would have had an approach very similar to that of Quebec,” he replied before highlighting Quebec’s “leadership” in this matter.
« Alberta bashing »
Mr. Kenney, who is the subject of a sling within his own party, has not missed an opportunity to throw stones at Quebec in recent months.
Two weeks ago, he attacked the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, because he proposed the establishment of a “green equalization” which would oblige Ottawa to give back to the least polluting provinces.
Du pur « Alberta bashing », according to Mr. Kenney, who called for the Bloc leader to show “gratitude” to Albertans instead.
Mr. Kenney accuses his federal counterpart of having made commitments at COP26 without having consulted him, commitments that he considers “unrealistic” and “devastating for the entire economy”.
“Natural resources belong to the provinces and under the Constitution it is the provinces which govern and manage these resources,” he insisted on Monday.
Mr. Kenney is opposed to any measure that would lead to the elimination of fossil fuels, as called for in the first version of the Glasgow Pact. This was modified at the last minute, Saturday, to call instead for a “reduction” in the use of these energies, as requested by India and China.
Trudeau on Monday reiterated his commitment to cap emissions from the oil industry to achieve the net zero goal by 2050.
“We are working on this with the experts. We will continue to work with industry, but also with scientists, ”he said, without mentioning the provinces, much to Mr. Kenney’s chagrin.
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