Alberta ministers booed as they discuss climate-change plan with rural leaders

EDMONTON — The Alberta government got a bit of a rough ride at a meeting with rural politicians in Edmonton.

Deputy premier Sarah Hoffman was booed Thursday as she defended the NDP’s climate-change plan, which includes a carbon tax and a phase-out of coal-fired electricity.

Hoffman said it’s necessary to address climate change because the science behind it is real and there are serious health concerns tied to burning coal.

Hoffman and other cabinet ministers fielded questions from hundreds of delegates to the fall convention of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.

Premier Rachel Notley said in a speech that she understands concerns and debate is always healthy.

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But she told delegates that a robust climate-change plan gives Alberta more credibility as it fights for energy infrastructure such as  pipelines.

“People are going to disagree sometimes, and we know that sometimes making hard decisions, particularly long-term decisions that bring about long-term repositioning and improvement for sometimes people who aren’t voters right now, that’s a little hard,” Notley said.

The Canadian Press