Redford in war of words with NDP over anti-Keystone trip to U.S.

OTTAWA — Premier Alison Redford found herself Thursday embroiled in war of words with the federal NDP as she joined her federal Conservative counterparts slamming official Opposition MPs for travelling to Washington to speak to U.S. lawmakers against the Keystone XL pipeline.

In Ottawa, Redford made the comments the same day she sat down with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in their first official meeting to discuss federal-provincial relations.

The two Calgary politicians, who’ve known each other for almost three decades, spoke about issues such as health-care funding, immigration and a new Canadian energy strategy.

The premier, who arrived back in Alberta late Thursday night, had just returned from her own mission to New York and Washington earlier this week to promote Alberta and the province’s energy interests in the United States.

While the contentious issue of the proposed Keystone oil pipeline came up when she met with U.S. lawmakers, Redford said she did not actively lobby regarding it — unlike federal NDP environment critic Megan Leslie and natural resources critic Claude Gravelle.

“It is not appropriate for us to be providing advice to American decision-makers in that context and to be political activists,” Redford said about the NDP trip this week. “So I am not at all supportive of that and I’m disappointed about it.”

Redford maintained her role is clearly different from that of a federal MP, saying a provincial premier “has a certain set of economic interests, social interests and environmental interests.”

“Whereas what we see going on right now is members of Parliament who certainly represent their constituencies, but that’s the extent of their representation in terms of the Canadian perspective on this issue.”

Linda Duncan, the lone NDP member of Parliament from Alberta, said she was stunned the premier would say that elected officials travelling to Washington is inappropriate.

“I find that absolutely reprehensible,” Duncan said. “How dare they suggest that we don’t have a right to interact with officials from other trading nations. Absolutely appalling.”

Both Redford’s provincial Conservatives and the Harper government strongly support the $7-billion Keystone pipeline, which will transport oil products from northern Alberta to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The project is critical to help increase oilsands production, but has been attacked by U.S. environmental groups and some landowners in Nebraska along the proposed pipeline route.

Last week the project was dealt a major blow when the U.S. State Department delayed its decision on the project due to concerns about the line crossing an environmentally sensitive area of Nebraska.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver also criticized the NDP trip to the U.S. on Keystone, calling it “a bizarre anti-trade mission” where MPs “fight against the creation of Canadian jobs.”

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent said the Opposition party has set upon a “treacherous course.”

However, the NDP said the Alberta and Harper governments don’t represent the perspectives of all Canadians, and increased oilsands productions creates serious environmental issues that need to be addressed, including its impact on air, water and land.

The federal NDP, along with the provincial NDP, also contend the project will ship processing jobs south as raw bitumen will be upgraded in Texas, not Alberta.

Duncan noted NDP members have also been excluded from the official Canadian delegations travelling to UN climate change conferences, including one in South Africa this month.

“Both the Alberta and federal government’s have failed to take the necessary regulatory monitoring actions to make the potential buyers of our oil and gas resources happy about buying those resources,” Duncan added.

Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason scoffed at the distinction the premier drew between herself and federal MPs travelling to Washington, calling it a “hypocritical statement.”

“She’s down there lobbying. She’s just concerned that they’re lobbying in a different direction and I fully support the position that (the federal NDP MPs have) taken, which is that the Keystone pipeline is a job-killer for Canada and Alberta,” Mason said.

“Frankly, they’re doing more for the people of Alberta by opposing the Keystone pipeline then she does by supporting it.”

As the issue boiled Thursday, the premier and Harper met late in the afternoon to discuss energy and what Americans are saying about the Keystone pipeline.

Redford laid out the province’s request for equitable federal health-care funding to Alberta. Currently, Ottawa sends fewer dollars the province’s way — for each of its citizens — than it does to other jurisdictions.

The province contends the existing federal-provincial health agreement, which expires in 2014, shortchanges Albertans by $930 million annually.

But in front of the cameras, there were warm words between the two Conservative leaders.

“We’ve known each other a very long time and I’m delighted to see your success, and I look forward to working with you as premier,” said Harper. “I’m jealous that after all this, you get to go back to Alberta.”