It’s been about four weeks since Energy Minister Sonya Savage received two reports from an independent coal policy committee, one summarizing feedback and providing the other recommendations on coal mining in Alberta.
Now the opposition is demanding that information be made public.
“We have not heard at all how the prime minister commits himself to publishing the report,” said Shannon Phillips, MPL from Lethbridge West. “We did not hear him say, ‘Yes, we heard Albertans.’
The call comes after High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass revealed comments that Prime Minister Jason Kenney made to him in a meeting between the two that was also attended by Savage and local MLA Roger Reid.
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According to Snodgrass, Kenney said he was an “unapologetic supporter of the coal industry.”
“There’s no doubt he’s still 100 percent in support of the coal mining companies and that’s just fine,” Snodgrass said. “It is his right, if that is where he wants to be.
“I told him straight up that it was disappointing to hear that.”
“What we have are only private statements – a month after the deadline for that coal report – from the Prime Minister, and those private statements are not encouraging,” Phillips said.
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Justin Brattinga, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office, made a statement to Global News stating that the reports would be made public.
“The Alberta Government is taking time to review the Coal Policy Committee’s reports and plans to release the reports as soon as a thorough review of the findings is completed,” the statement said.
“The reports are detailed and reflect the committee’s diligent efforts to liaise with Albertans and indigenous people. We will also respond to the committee’s recommendations when the reports are released. ”
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No possible date was given on when the reports could be released.
When Global News was asked for an update on the timeline for the release of the reports, the energy minister’s office provided the same statement.
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Reference-globalnews.ca