Alberta Premier Jason Kenney spent over $16,000 to fly former premier Bob McLeod and two other conservative provincial leaders to Calgary last July.

NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, who obtained the flight manifest, revealed the information to other Alberta MLAs Thursday evening. There were 16 people on the flight, including Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, and other senior staffers.

Upon arriving, the premiers were photographed together at the Calgary Stampede, flipping pancakes.

On Thursday, Notley grilled Kenney after the premier suggested the trip was necessary to foster cooperation across jurisdictions.

"I don't think you needed to bribe them with a free flight after your pancake breakfast to do that. That's not building relationships," she said.

Kenney, for his part, said he wouldn't make an apology.

A threat to 'national unity'

The flight last summer followed a letter from conservative premiers and McLeod slamming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Bills C-69 and C-48. The former overhauled environmental assessments of large resource projects and the latter formally barred oil tankers from the northern B.C. coast.

The premiers' letter used strong language, suggesting the legislation threatened "national unity."

They wrote that C-69 would make resource projects SA国际影视传媒渧irtually impossibleSA国际影视传媒� and be a huge economic burden.

The bill, they insisted, SA国际影视传媒渦psets the balance struck by the constitutional division of powers by ignoring the exclusive provincial powers over projects relating to these resources.

Shortly afterwards McLeodSA国际影视传媒檚 brother, Liberal MP Michael McLeod, told News/North he was SA国际影视传媒渟urprisedSA国际影视传媒� to read the SA国际影视传媒渙ddSA国际影视传媒� letter. Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly also took issue, saying the decision was unilateral and SA国际影视传媒渢he premier went off and did this by himself."

SA国际影视传媒淭here was no consultation or even notice provided to regular MLAs, the same colonial approach that he has pinned on the federal government,SA国际影视传媒� O'Reilly wrote on social media. SA国际影视传媒淚 would be curious to know whether there was any notice given to Premier McLeodSA国际影视传媒檚 cabinet colleagues.SA国际影视传媒�

Defending himself in a statement to News/North, McLeod emphasized the large economic role of natural resource development.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the Northwest Territories, as has been the case throughout Canada, natural resource development is critical to the prosperity of residents, businesses and communities,SA国际影视传媒� the statement read. SA国际影视传媒淭his is true for all Canadians, whether they realize it or not, and is especially true for the people of the Northwest Territories.SA国际影视传媒�

Trudeau, meanwhile, said the premiersSA国际影视传媒� position of SA国际影视传媒渢hreatening national unity if they do not get their way is completely irresponsible.SA国际影视传媒�

More to come.