The new United Conservative Government will focus on jobs, pipelines and getting a fair deal in Canada
EDMONTON, AB (April 17, 2019): Alberta Premier-Designate Jason Kenney today thanked Albertans for giving the United Conservative Party a strong mandate in the 2019 election and set out the immediate priorities for his new UCP government.
“Yesterday’s election produced a strong mandate for change, a clear declaration of Albertans’ confidence in our United Conservative team and the new direction outlined in our platform,” Kenney said. “In the highest turnout since 1982, over 55 percent of those who voted expressed their support for a government committed to getting our province working again.”
Premier-Designate Kenney thanked and congratulated all Albertans who participated in the election as party leaders, candidates, campaign volunteers, and voters. “I especially want to thank and congratulate Premier Rachel Notley for her service to our province including her four years as premier,” said Kenney.
Noting that the urgent need for new pipelines was an issue all the major parties and leaders agreed on, Premier-Designate Kenney vowed that the new UCP government’s foremost priority will be getting the TransMountain pipeline approved as soon as possible. Key to that objective, he added, will be building and strengthening Alberta’s alliances with supporters of responsible natural resource development across Canada. “These include other provincial governments, First Nations, communities large and small, and millions of Canadians who understand how important energy and resource development are to our economy and our future,” Kenney said. “Together with these allies we will fight the Trudeau government’s offshore tanker ban, Bill C-48, and its no-more-pipelines bill, C-69. In fact, I am sending a letter today to Senator Tkachuk, Chair of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications to request the opportunity to formally articulate our incoming government’s position that bill C-48 presents a grave threat to the economic interests of Alberta and this great province. In our fight to get our resources to market, we will win, because there are far more Canadians with us than against us.”
And if the NDP government of British Columbia continues to obstruct the TransMountain pipeline, the Premier-Designate said, the new UCP government will enact legislation created by Premier Notley’s former government to turn off the flow of Alberta energy to BC. “This is not a bluff,” said Kenney. “Alberta will no longer stand by as others stand in the way of our future.”
Premier-Designate Kenney acknowledged the trust Albertans have invested in the new United Conservative government and its plan to get Alberta back to work, get pipelines built, and stand up for a fair deal in Canada. He promised relentless effort to deliver on the UCP commitments, including immediately scrapping the carbon tax, implementing a job creation tax cut that will rapidly create over 50,000 new jobs, and slashing red tape and speeding up project approvals.
“Alberta has nothing to apologize for and everything to fight for,” Kenney said. “That’s the clear mandate Albertans have given our new United Conservative government. Our plan for a strong and free Alberta starts today.”
