Not only did his government end the previous year mired in scandal over international travel during a global pandemic, January saw renewed public criticism of the inquiry into “Anti-Alberta” energy campaigns, while backlash from local communities forced the government to backtrack on a controversial coal policy, after earlier backtracking on a plan to sell some provincial parks. The Kenney government also faces multiple lawsuits right now and continued criticism over the contentious Critical Infrastructure Defence Act. And now, Premier Kenney is defending his failed investment of billions of dollars in the KeystoneXL pipeline, cancelled by President Biden on his first day in office, as he has been promising for years to do.
Kenney’s unrelenting attacks on climate action, dismal environmental policies, and attempts to undermine Albertans’ right to free speech are some of the key reasons I decided to join Ecojustice as a staff lawyer.
Before joining Ecojustice, I served as the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. For three years, I had a front row seat to the ways the current government’s policy agenda threatens Albertans’ futures.
Now, I’m pleased to return to my roots as a litigator and join Ecojustice’s efforts to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment for all. I’m also eager to leverage my political experience to hold corporations and governments to account – no matter who is power.
In that spirit, here is a look at some of the province’s trending environmental stories – and how Ecojustice is involved: