TORONTO -- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he鈥檚 been contacted by federal Conservative candidates to help drum up support for their campaigns, and he鈥檚 happy to comply if his schedule allows.
Kenney told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that he doesn鈥檛 expect to be on the campaign trail all that often, but several candidates have reached out to him for help.
鈥淚 support (Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer) enthusiastically and I鈥檇 be happy to pitch in,鈥 he said Wednesday. 鈥淥bviously, I鈥檝e got more than a full-time job, but Albertans desperately want a change in the federal government and if I can contribute in some small way, I certainly will.鈥
During a media availability in Calgary earlier in the day, Kenney said he is encouraging fellow members of the United Conservative Party to help out as well, and commended some of his party members for spending their own time and money to help federal Conservative candidates in tightly contested ridings outside the province.
Kenney said the Trudeau government has been at least partly to blame for several years of decline in the Alberta energy sector. On Tuesday, the Alberta government issued a constitutional challenge against Bill C-69, which Kenney calls the 鈥淣o More Pipelines Bill.鈥 Bill C-69 created a new authority to assess the environmental, economic, and public health impacts of large industrial projects, such as pipelines and sea ports.
Kenney, a former cabinet minister in Stephen Harper鈥檚 Conservative government, said the growing angst among Albertans concerning Confederation will not be going away if Trudeau were to be re-elected.
An Abacus Data poll from July showed that 25 per cent of Albertans favour separatism, while a poll from the Environics Institute back in March showed that the majority of Albertans believe they receive so few benefits from the federal government that they might be better off leaving.
鈥淪ome of that is people just blowing off steam, but underneath it lies a truly deep frustration with the way the federation is working,鈥 Kenney said. 鈥淚 believe the Trudeau government has damaged national unity.鈥
With files from The Canadian Press
