By The Canadian Press

Alberta premier resists calls to sack environment minister over parks row

Jan 11, 2019 | 4:51 AM

FORT SASKATCHEWAN, Alta. – Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is resisting growing opposition demands to fire her environment minister over comments about RCMP involvement in a new parks plan.

Notley says Alberta has made significant progress on the environmental file under Shannon Phillips and the minister has her full support.

The Alberta Party has joined the Opposition United Conservatives in calling for Phillips to step down.

The parties say she has lost her credibility because of comments about a proposed network of parks in Bighorn Country on the eastern edge of Banff and Jasper national parks.

Phillips cancelled public information sessions that had been scheduled for this week.

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She said she consulted with Mounties and her officials, and decided there was a threat to public safety.

The RCMP have said they did not advise Phillips because it is not their role to make such recommendations.

Phillips also had to backtrack this week when she said the RCMP had two investigations into threats against supporters of the Bighorn plan.

She later said they were only complaints and that no investigations had begun.