UCP Calls out Edmonton NDP MP who opposes the Teck mine

Yesterday the United Conseravtive Party (UCP) sent out an email to its members all around Alberta calling out the singular NDP Member of Parliament in Edmonton Strathcona for not supporting the Frontier Teck mine.

MP Heather McPherson was endorsed by Alberta NDP leader Racheal Notley last October saying that, “I voted for Heather McPherson…I urge voters in Edmonton Strathcona to do the same.” which the UCP have jumped on assuming Notely knew McPherson’s environmental views.

McPherson had become the MP for Edmonton Strathcona back in October of 2019 after taking over for her retired three term predecessor Linda Duncan.

McPherson had been mostly an unknown vote on the Frontier Teck mine not knowing whether or not she would side with her party’s environmentalist agenda or support the economic development of Alberta economy for her constituents.  

Her position was later revealed when tape surfaced of her at a town hall on February 12th where she stated her position on the Frontier Teck project. McPherson said, “[Teck Frontier] is a terrible project. The NDP is not behind this project…we are pushing for this project to not go forward.”

The email sent out by the UCP addressed McPherson’s views contextualizing as, “It’s the same old NDP – more interested in catering to their fringe base of anti-pipeline extremists than actually standing up for Albertans.”

Regardless of the ideology of the NDP when it comes to energy projects it may not tactically smart to have the only NDP MP in Alberta also take shots at the Teck mine. If the NDP hopes to keep a foothold in Alberta it may be wise for them to not attack the provinces economy.

McPherson seems to have not backed off of her hardline environmentalist stance having made similarly comments and promoting other radical anti-energy messaging.

Although Edmonton Strathcona has always been a historic NDP stronghold comments like this may start to show the cracks in their urban Edmonton support the party has always relied on for provincial and federal elections.