Close X
Saturday, September 21, 2024
ADVT 
National

Alberta United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney Says No Confusion Sowed On India Trip

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Sep, 2018 12:13 PM
    CALGARY — Alberta Opposition Leader Jason Kenney says he didn't sow confusion on his recent trade trip to India, and says the contacts he renewed there can only help the province.
     
     
    Kenney also mocked Trade Minister Deron Bilous for saying his office is now doing "damage control" with Indian officials to make sure Kenney's role and the provincial position on trade issues is clear.
     
     
    "I don't think they would know who to call," Kenney said Monday.
     
     
    "In the three-and-a-half years they've been in office, neither Premier (Rachel) Notley nor the trade minister has bothered to visit India, the world's fastest-growing, second-largest market. I have 20 years of deep connections in that country."
     
     
    Kenney, along with fellow United Conservative MLAs Prasad Panda and Devin Dreeshen, toured India last week, meeting with senior government and oil and gas officials.
     
     
    They also expressed concern about Indian tariffs on pulse crops.
     
     
    Kenney said he went as Alberta's official Opposition leader and used the trip to renew and strengthen relations with Indian officials established previously while working as a federal cabinet minister.
     
     
    He said the talks will help the province, particularly if Kenney's party wins power in the spring election.
     
     
    "Should we elect a Conservative government next year, we will already have hypercharged our relationship with the senior commercial and political leadership in India," he said.
     
     
    "I think that's good for Alberta."
     
     
    Kenney also appeared to reverse himself on a core criticism of Notley's government. He has said that Alberta's tax system, particularly the carbon tax, is counterproductive and undermining investment, but in India he told a TV reporter that Alberta is a prime spot for investment because of many factors, including low taxes.
     
     
    Premier Rachel Notley dismissed Kenney on Monday for playing "minister of make believe" abroad.
     
     
    "He was in India, I understand, suggesting that he was a member of our cabinet and extolling the virtues of our government's policies," said Notley. "I think he's either seen the light or, conversely, getting started a little early on the pot legalization."
     
     
    Kenney said for him partisan politics stops when he goes abroad.
     
     
    "It's unfortunate the NDP here sought to politicize it, but I was very careful — we were very careful — in our time there not to mention a single word of criticism of the Alberta government. To the contrary, we talked up Alberta," said Kenney.
     
     
    "When I leave the borders of Canada, I'm on Team Alberta."
     
     
    Bilous has said Alberta has extensive and ongoing relations with India, adding that Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier has made two recent trips there.
     
     
    Bilous said damage control was needed last week because one senior Indian government official referred to Kenney as a cabinet minister and it wasn't clear what was being discussed in the meetings.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Vancouver's Short-Term Rental Listings Drop By Half After New Rules Introduced

    Vancouver's Short-Term Rental Listings Drop By Half After New Rules Introduced
    The City of Vancouver says the number of short-term rentals listed online has dropped by almost half since new rules came into effect requiring operators to have a business licence.

    Vancouver's Short-Term Rental Listings Drop By Half After New Rules Introduced

    Metro Vancouver Sees House Prices Edge Lower For 2 Straight Months

    Metro Vancouver Sees House Prices Edge Lower For 2 Straight Months
    The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says prices for detached homes, townhouses and condos have fallen for two consecutive months in Metro Vancouver.

    Metro Vancouver Sees House Prices Edge Lower For 2 Straight Months

    Canadian Backpack Makers Eye Expansion Abroad, Morph Into Lifestyle Brands

    Canadian Backpack Makers Eye Expansion Abroad, Morph Into Lifestyle Brands
    Canada's backpack makers are experiencing a boon beyond the traditionally busy back-to-school season as students and consumers with all types of carryall needs flock to their designs.

    Canadian Backpack Makers Eye Expansion Abroad, Morph Into Lifestyle Brands

    Dirt Laced With Glass, Plastic, Applied To Some School Fields On Sunshine Coast

    Dirt Laced With Glass, Plastic, Applied To Some School Fields On Sunshine Coast
    GIBSONS, B.C. — Students at seven schools on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver, must stay off the grass playing fields until further notice.

    Dirt Laced With Glass, Plastic, Applied To Some School Fields On Sunshine Coast

    B.C. Wildfire Service Says Some Campfire Bans Could Be Gone By The Weekend

    The BC Wildfire Service says cooler, wetter weather in the forecast means some of the campfire bans in effect across British Columbia could be lifted soon.

    B.C. Wildfire Service Says Some Campfire Bans Could Be Gone By The Weekend

    WATCH VIDEO: Suspect Sought In Vancouver Arson That Caused $100,000 In Damage

    WATCH VIDEO: Suspect Sought In Vancouver Arson That Caused $100,000 In Damage
    Surveillance images captured a man putting his hand into a hedge shortly before it caught fire on Aug. 21.

    WATCH VIDEO: Suspect Sought In Vancouver Arson That Caused $100,000 In Damage