Area MLAs Jason Nixon and Nathan Cooper have come out in support of their Wildrose MLA colleague Don McIntyre.
The NDP government is calling on Wildrose Leader Brian Jean to remove MacIntyre from the party's electricity and renewable shadow portfolio.
NDP MLA Shaye Anderson says McIntyre has repeatedly "questioned the science of climate change" and therefore should be removed as the party's shadow minister.
"Time and again, Mr. MacIntyre has made comments that are drawn from climate change-denying conspiracy theorists," Anderson said in a Jan. 3 release.
"It's irresponsible to lend climate change-denying conspiracies the credibility of the office of the official Opposition. Unless Mr. Jean agrees with what Mr. McIntyre is saying, he must remove him from his position."
MacIntyre is the Wildrose MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake.
Jason Nixon's Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre riding includes the western portion of Mountain View County.
In a Gazette interview, MLA Nixon said he continues to back MacIntyre.
"Let me be very clear, the Wildrose caucus stands 100 per cent behind my colleague Don MacIntyre," said Nixon. "He is doing a great job on this file and will continue to do a great job. We will not be taking advice from the NDP on who should be in what shadow minister portfolio. Daily I get phone calls at my offices from constituents in NDP ridings begging for help because their MLAs won't even listen to the people they represent.
"The fact that Albertans have overwhelmingly called for them (NDP) to reverse their carbon tax and they have not done it, that's where the NDP backbencher MLAs should probably be focusing their time. The NDP should start listening to Albertans instead of playing games."
Nixon said MacIntyre has told him "many times that he believes man is having an impact on climate change and that there is a role for us to play as a society in making sure that we have positive impacts on the environment as a whole, including climate change. Mr. MacIntyre has been very clear on the record on that."
MLA Nathan Cooper, whose Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills riding includes the eastern portion of Mountain View County, echoed Nixon's comments.
"I think Don has done an incredible job representing Albertans, particularly on these important issues with respect to the carbon tax," Cooper told the Gazette. "Of course man-made climate change is real and of course we all have a responsibility to play in moving forward.
"But what we don't need is the largest tax increase in Albertans' history under the form of the carbon tax, which is going to have very little impact on global emissions. The government should spend more time listening to Albertans about issues around the carbon tax and less time calling for the resignation of a good MLA like Don MacIntyre."
For his part, NDP MLA Anderson says not removing MacIntyre will end up hurting the Wildrose Party.
"If Mr. Jean wants the Wildrose to be a credible, serious political party, he must remove Mr. MacIntyre," said Anderson. "It hurt Alberta's reputation and undermined efforts to build new pipelines, costing us tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity. The Wildrose wants to turn back the clock."
"Let me be very clear, the Wildrose caucus stands 100 per cent behind my colleague Don MacIntyre."- Jason NixonWildrose MLA
