EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is adding his voice to the chorus of criticism against China for how it handled the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Kenney, who was taking part in a virtual roundtable hosted by the Canadian American Business Council, says there will need to be what he calls a “great reckoning” for the role China played in fuelling the global pandemic.
He accuses the governing Communist Party of lobbying the World Health Organization to turn a blind eye to evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus and to resist early travel restrictions in Chinese hotspots.
The premier also says the more the rest of the world seeks answers, the more belligerent and unco-operative the country has become.
Kenney says that should be a cue for Canada and the U.S. to “reset” their relationship with China and to make a concerted effort to bring manufacturing capacity back to North America - particularly for important medical gear like face masks and ventilators.
In particular, he says, Alberta's petrochemical industry could play a key role in helping to produce reagents, a necessary component of testing.
Kenney said Alberta will also be focusing on stronger ties to the United States as part of its economic recovery plan.
He said commercial and political connections will be important as the province works to recover from the pandemic and the reduction in oil production.
"All of this underscores the need – now more than ever – for Alberta to have a very strong political representation in Washington and across the United States," Kenney said.
To promote trade and investment, the province will be opening a permanent office in Houston, Texas.
Other American cities are also being considered.
"We will be creating a special Alberta Investment Agency which will be expanding our footprint, our physical presence, our ministerial visits, our commercial ties starting with key U.S. markets," Kenney said.
He also highlighted his government's approach to promoting business investment, including reducing the business tax rate, reducing red tape and investing in training workers.
The conversation included Tanya Fir, Alberta's minister of economic development and James Rajotte, Alberta's senior representative to the United States based in Washington.
The CABC is a non-profit organization made up of private sector business leaders and stakeholders from both Canada and the U.S.
With files from The Canadian Press
