After having to spend more money than estimated to build the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, the next test of Ottawa’s relationship with Alberta is just around the corner.
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I had to listen to it twice before I trusted my own ears.
“Look, I think to Prime Minister Trudeau’s credit, I think he understands that there is a very serious challenge here … we’ve entered into, I think, a respectful dialogue.”
That is a direct quote from none other than Alberta premier Jason Kenney. Yes, the same Jason Kenney who once said Justin Trudeau has the “political depth of a finger bowl.” You’d forgive me if I had to do a double, triple and quadruple take.
But it happened — it really happened.
And it wasn’t just Kenney — Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also piled on the praise. “It seems to be an attitude change, it really does” he said when asked about his relationship with Ottawa. “The outreach also seems to be strong.”
Both men were speaking on a panel
at the Wilson Centre in Washington when they made the comments on Friday.
It’s a major shift in tone. Remember right after the federal election in October? With the Liberals shut out of Alberta and Saskatchewan, the premiers issued dire warnings to Ottawa that unity of the country was at risk if nothing was done to address the anger of people in those provinces.
In came newly-named Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who the prime minister tasked with the super easy endeavour of repairing national unity.
Sources close to both Kenney and Moe tell me Freeland’s appointment was a bit of a game changer, and the relationship between her and both men is very good.
Fast forward to late last week when the federal government w