(EDMONTON, AB): Today, Chief Government Whip Shane Getson said Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley should condemn anti-energy, anti-worker comments from Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan, whose union controls two voting seats on her party’s provincial executive.
On Thursday, McGowan posted on X (Twitter) that “fossil fuel production is incompatible with saving the planet. Our government here in Alberta is betting that the world will not get serious about climate change.” Getson said McGowan’s comments are an insult to the tens of thousands of men and women who work in Alberta’s energy industry, as well as to the work Alberta is doing as a leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage to reduce emissions.
“McGowan isn’t just commenting from the peanut gallery here. He represents an organization with two voting seats on the Alberta NDP’s provincial executive. Comments like these are extreme and should not be tolerated by any mainstream party in Alberta. Notley needs to make it clear that these anti-energy, anti-worker views won’t be tolerated,” Getson said. “McGowan clearly doesn’t represent the men and women who work in the building trades across the province, or the Boilermakers. His attitudes and views cast aspersions on the proud men and women who are building our province and who respect and care for our environment.”
McGowan has a long history of disgraceful remarks and behaviours, including comparing conservatives to Nazis and organizing a disturbing boycott against conservative-owned businesses.
“All across the country, workers are waking up to the fact big union bosses like McGowan aren’t working for them,” Getson said. “On the heels of a $9 billion investment announcement that will create 6,000 jobs during peak construction, workers are quickly realizing that our United Conservative government is getting the job done and creating good jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for their families.”
