Chandra Lye, CTV Edmonton
Published Thursday, March 5, 2015 10:07AM MST
Last Updated Thursday, March 5, 2015 10:51AM MST
The leader of Alberta’s NDP is calling on Premier Jim Prentice to apologize after saying that Albertans need to “look in the mirror” if they want to know who is responsible for the province’s fiscal crisis.
“I think that is a profoundly insulting comment to all Albertans,” Rachel Notley said.
“If Jim Prentice were to look in the mirror what he would see is the leader of a very tired, 43-year-old government. A government that is completely, and totally, and solely responsible for the fiscal crisis that we are in right now.
“We are calling on Jim Prentice to issue an apology to Albertans for the profoundly insulting statement that he made and to take responsibility for his record and for his government records.”
Notley also called the comments arrogant.
“These guys are the ones that have been at the controls. These guys are the ones that have made the decisions. It is their decisions that put us here. How dare they blame the families that are struggling to make ends meet under the circumstances that these guys have created?
“If this is what the premier will say to Albertans now, six weeks before an election, heaven forbid what he is going to say to Albertans after the election if they give them a four year mandate. I would be troubled and worried about where we are going.”
The hashtag #PrenticeblamesAlbertans has been trending and includes sarcastic comments and memes.
In many tweets, Albertans sarcastically blame themselves for everything from the demise of the dinosaurs to the blown play call that cost the Seattle Seahawks the Super Bowl.
Others say Prentice is right on, given that Albertans have voted to keep the Progressive Conservative party in power for more than 40 years.
Prentice has promised to remake the budget radically this month, since low oil prices have drained billions of the dollars from the treasury.
He says there will be “pain” for everyone, but says corporate taxes and oil royalties will be off
With files from The Canadian Press
