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Province-wide rally on NDP climate act includes Fort McMurray gathering

Last Updated Nov 4, 2016 at 5:04 pm MDT

Fort McMurray will be one of 12 communities taking part in a province-wide rally Saturday afternoon aiming to gauge public support for the “Climate Change Leadership Implementation Act” introduced by the NDP government.

Organizer Todd Beasley said the belief is the majority of Albertans don’t support much of the plan, including the carbon tax.

“This is legislation which will have massive implications for generations to come,” Beasley said. “We believe it will seriously erode Alberta and Canada’s competitiveness and adding significant new taxation when we as a society can least afford it is fundamentally irresponsible and, moreover, it’s just plain cruel.”

Beasley said they’re hoping to gather signatures in support of a referendum or a plebiscite on the question of whether Albertans support the act.

“Our goal is to have a minimum 500,000 people sign a properly constituted petition and our stretch goal is for one million signatures, which we will submit to the legislative assembly,” said Beasley. “Once it’s submitted we can absolutely put paid to the statement that it’s absolutely not true that the NDP government has the support of the people on this issue.”

He said that is despite the fact the NDP won a majority in the last election.

The rally here in Fort McMurray takes place outside the provincial building on Franklin Avenue from noon to 2 p.m.

Other rallies are taking place in Calgary, Edmonton, Brooks, Airdrie, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Hanna, Camrose, Drayton Valley, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat.

Beasley said each rally will see emphasis on issues facing their community with the overarching theme focussing on the petition. He said invitations were extended to Premier Rachel Notley and her cabinet to attend the rallies but those invitations have gone unanswered.