Trudeau's 'phase out' oilsands comments spark outrage in Alberta
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked immediate anger among Alberta politicians Friday by suggesting Canada should "phase out" the oilsands.
Speaking at a town hall in Peterborough, Ont., Trudeau was asked about his government's approval of pipelines and his commitment to the environment.
"You can't make a choice between what's good for the environment and what's good for the economy," Trudeau said. "We can't shut down the oilsands tomorrow. We need to phase them out. We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels.
"That is going to take time. And in the meantime, we have to manage that transition."
In Alberta, both the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservatives were quick to condemn the statement.
"The economic benefits of the oilsands are immeasurable," Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who represents Fort McMurray, said in a statement. "If Mr. Trudeau wants to shut down Alberta's oilsands, and my hometown, let him be warned: he'll have to go through me and four million Albertans first."
In a tweet, PC leadership candidate Jason Kenney asked if Trudeau would rather "hand over all global oil production to Saudi [Arabia], Iran [and] Qatar.
"If we end 'dependence on fossil fuels,'" Kenney asked in another tweet, "how will Justin Trudeau fly to private Caribbean islands? Planes & helicopters fuelled by pixie dust?"
According to a 2014 study, Alberta's oilsands contributed $91 billion of Canada's gross domestic product (GDP) that year.
