KENNEY MUST ADDRESS LINE 5, PROTECT FORT SASKATCHEWAN JOBS: NOTLEY

FORT SASKATCHEWAN – Jason Kenney must speak up for Fort Saskatchewan jobs threatened by the ongoing crisis around Enbridge’s Line 5, said Alberta NDP Rachel Notley.

In a speech to the Fort Saskatchewan & District Chamber of Commerce on Friday as part of the Alberta’s Future series, Notley spoke about how the city’s young and diverse workforce are driving Alberta’s energy innovations and the province’s ongoing work to process and decarbonize our energy products.

“Fort Saskatchewan is a thriving, exciting city with so much potential for future growth. The city has strong employment opportunities that are driving high wages and disposable income alongside a housing market that is attractive for young Albertans,” said Notley. “This region has built a legacy in developing and processing our resources, taking the carbon out of the barrel and leading our energy innovations.”

Notley said the potential shutdown of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, which ships 540,000 barrels of Alberta oil and liquid natural gas every day, could mean serious consequences for refineries in the Industrial Heartland that employ thousands of Albertans to ship our energy products east.

The damage Jason Kenney inflicted to both his own credibility and Alberta’s credibility writ large is only one reason the UCP has failed to stand up for the people of Fort Saskatchewan, said Notley, pointing to the UCP’s own internal caucus struggles as an impediment to competent, successful government.

“We’ve seen this before. When a government becomes more about politics and resignation calls and who’s siding with who, the serious work of governing comes second,” she said. “We need the Premier to be at the table fighting for jobs and we need a government focused on doing this work on behalf of the people of Fort Saskatchewan and all Albertans.”

Notley also highlighted how her plan for hydrogen production and export—Hydrogen: A New Energy Source for Alberta’s Future’, released October 2020—will help unlock new energy opportunities in Alberta’s Industrial heartland and create good, mortgage-paying jobs for Albertans. Albertans can learn more at www.AlbertasFuture.ca.