Alberta
Alberta minister blasts province’s NDP leader for seeming to mock Christians
From LifeSiteNews
Imagine if it was a conservative minister making fun of Mohammed on an important religious feast day
The leader of Alberta’s socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) has been taken to task by the ruling United Conservative Party for appearing to mock Christians in a moment caught by a hot mic at a press conference in the province’s legislature.
On Wednesday, NDP leader and former mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, who does not hold a seat in the legislature despite being leader of the opposition, drew the ire of UCP Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Dan Williams for appearing to mock Jesus Christ.
“Yesterday, right here in the legislature, Naheed Nenshi, the leader of the NDP, mocked Christians along with the media. They laughed at us,” said Williams in an X post video Thursday.
In the video, Williams shows a clip of Nenshi walking away after Wednesday’s press conference saying, “I wanted to say the UCP hates baby Jesus.” Immediately afterward, members of the media burst into laughter.
It is not clear what Nenshi was asked by the legacy media, or why he made the response he did, but it was perceived by Williams and others to be a mockery of Christians who support the UCP.
Williams took issue with Nenshi’s comments, saying that what he said was “deeply inappropriate anywhere, especially here in our legislature, and it’s so deeply inappropriate for anyone to say, especially someone who believes that they should be the leader of our province.”
Not done yet, Williams accused Nenshi of making “fun of the majority of faith holders in this province.”
“To do it here, of all places, in the Rotunda. Friends imagine if the roles were switched. Imagine if it was a conservative minister making fun of Mohammed on an important religious feast day,” he said.
Williams demanded that Nenshi apologize for his “offhand joke.”
“He might not have intended it, but it is offensive and I hope Mr. Nenshi rises to the occasion and apologizes because I don’t think Christians want to stand for being made fun of by Mr. Nenshi or by anyone, and not in the house and seat of our democracy here in the legislature,” he said.
Nenshi is no stranger to advocating for the woke agenda that often stands in opposition to Christian values.
In 2021, Nenshi called COVID protesters, many of whom were Christians, “white supremacists,” and said last year that Canadian politicians should use their positions in parliament to combat the “radicalization of white people.”
It was also during Nenshi’s time as mayor of Calgary that the city’s council banned businesses from offering help to those with unwanted same-sex attraction, meaning that even if someone who suffered from such attraction wanted help in dealing with those feelings, offering such help was not permitted.
Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:
“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.
“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.
“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.
“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.
“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.
“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”
From the Fraser Institute
By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.
Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.
In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.
Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.
The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.
Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.
Jock Finlayson
Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
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