No regrets as Notley looks back on last 3 years

With dreams dashed of cutting the ribbon on a new Trans Mountain pipeline expansion at least for now Premier Rachel Notley is in the middle of a pre-election pivot.

Notley is now concentrating on shorter-term fixes, such as buyingrail cars to ship crude oil to market, to bridge the short period leading up to aprovincial election in the spring.

In a wide-ranging year-end interview with CBC News, Alberta's first NDP premier looked back without regret on the last three and a half years since her party formed government in May2015.

Back then, Notleyenjoyed a friendly relationship with Justin Trudeau, who was elected prime minister in the fall of 2015.

"The first meeting I ever had with the prime minister, what we talked about was the Trans Mountain pipeline and the fact that we needed to get that built," Notley said.

But since then, Notley's political fight has intensified from focusing on getting a new pipelineto pushing the federal government to shoulder the responsibility of enabling growth in Alberta's energy industry.

"I think eventually this pipeline is going to get built, but it's not built right now and we need the federal government to understand just how important this is to the people of Alberta," she said.

It's why Notley isforging ahead with arranging the purchase of thousands of new rail cars to move crude oil to market with or without financial help from Ottawa.

• Alberta plans to buy 7,000 rail cars to ease 'crisis' in oil price differentials

"We need to finalize the deal with respect to rail so investors, and industry players will be able to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel," said Notley, who expects to have arrangements finalized early in the new year.

Social licence still part of conversation

As in her initial relationship with Trudeau, Alberta's premier has no regrets for trying to win so-called social licence for pipeline expansion with her government's climate change plan and carbon tax.

• Oil price woes a 'serious problem' for Canadian economy, says Notley

While her approach has been decried by political critics as a failure, Notleydefends her position that working with industry to reduce emissions while enabling economic growth, and introducing a price on carbon, is better in the long run.

But it's a complicated relationship. Last August, Notleypulled out of the Trudeau government'sclimate change plan in protest against a federal court ruling that quashed expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

• Notley pulls Alberta out of federal climate plan over Trans Mountain ruling
• From 2015:Alberta's climate change strategy targets carbon, coal, emissions

"I think it [social licence]is still part of the conversation," Notley said."The world is still seized with this issue."

Watch: Rachel Notleylooks back onthree and a half years as premier.

'What Canada needs is for Alberta to be able to succeed'

6 years ago

Duration 2:42

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks with CBC provincial affairs reporter Kim Trynacity in a year-end interview.

She pointed out that it's difficult to take a long-term view of climate action with the restraints of the current election cycle and the highly politicized debate."You have to think beyond the two- or three-month narrative, sometimes to the two- and three-year and sometimes a seven- or eight-year [view],"Notley said.

"I believe we need to take action to responsibly combat climate change, and I believe that our energy industry is well positioned to lead the world as far as being the first choice provider of non-renewable energy."

2 visions in the campaign

As unrepentant as she is in her approach to pipelines and the environment, Notleyis steadfast in her support for social justice. She is proud of the progress her government has made in schools and the health-care system.

Her governmentbrought in gay-straight alliance legislation for schools and a law that imposes lifetime bans on health-care professionals found guilty of sexual abuse.

She believes her positions on social issues will set her apart from the United Conservative Party (UCP) and its leader, Jason Kenney.

"There's going to be two visions that Albertans are going to be looking at," Notleysaid ofthe upcoming election campaign.

"It's a bit of fake populism, where they sort of yell at everything and are against everything and want to undo everything," she said of the approach she expects to see from the UCP.

Notley reiterated her frequent claim that a Kenney government would make "massive cutbacks," that "by their own admission will hurt Albertans."

But in a year-end interview with CBC, Kenney said his approach to governing will be prudent.

• Kenney hopes 2019 election will be 'respectful, policy-based debate'

Kenney has already formed a transition team to launch if he wins the next provincial election, and has set out priorities for his first few months in office. He intends to repeal the carbon tax and appoint a minister in charge of cutting regulations.

Saying some of the changes made by the NDP to labour legislation have hurt business, Kenney also intends to repeal some elements of the NDP government's changes to the labour code.

Notley said she's looking forward to the campaign. She's coy about when it will happen, other than to say it will be held within the prescribed timeframe March 1 to May 31, 2019.

And she "absolutely" expects to win another mandate.

"As someone who's been born and raised in politics, and born and raised to campaign for the values that matter to me, I look forward to the election."