Alberta’s Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman is apologizing over a comment she made in the Legislature where she called anyone who opposes the NDP government ‘sewer rats’. The comment came during question period on Tuesday, after Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon accused the government of ‘gross incompetence’ and called on the NDP to make better choices. Hoffman was quick to defend her government from Nixon’s accusation. “They’re creating jobs, they’re cutting school fees, they’re freezing tuition. The members opposite just want to keep jacking those things up. We’re focused on hard hats [and] they’re spending a lot of time with sewer rats, Mr. Speaker.” The Wildrose jumped on the comment, demanding an apology. Hoffman admitted afterwards that she chose her words poorly and offered an unreserved apology. “When I spent many years in public education, I encouraged students to use their words with caution and choose them wisely and I failed to do so. So I apologize to the assembly and anyone else who was offended by those remarks.” She said that the comments were not prepared beforehand and she’d come up with them off the cuff.
