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The Notley government’s quagmire over power contracts continues to deepen, with Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman and the premier’s communications director now in the crosshairs of a new $1-million defamation lawsuit.

While chiding the former PC government in 2016 for mammoth public losses over power purchase contracts — losses tied to their own actions after taking power — the NDP government also sought to shift some of the blame to now-defunct Enron Corp. for its lobbying efforts.

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What they likely weren’t counting on was a former Enron lawyer in Calgary suing them for defamation in the matter.

Last week, Robert Hemstock did just that, filing a $1-million lawsuit against the province, Hoffman and the premier’s communications director, Cheryl Oates, along with other unknown individuals involved in the matter.

Hemstock, who is now semi-retired, alleges the province implied he “caused the billions of dollars of losses to Albertans when it was the government’s own actions which caused the loss,” according to a statement of claim filed in Court of Queen’s Bench.