Alberta Premier Jim Prentice rejected repeated calls for an apology during Tuesday’s question period as opposition parties criticized the premier for appearing to blame Albertans for the province’s oil woes last week.

Twitter users launched the nationally-trending hashtag #PrenticeBlamesAlbertans last week after Prentice suggested on a CBC radio talk show that Albertans need only “look in the mirror” to see who’s responsible for the government’s $7-billion revenue shortfall, causing intense public backlash and internet memes mocking the PC government.

In the first set of questions of the spring legislative session, interim Wildrose Leader Heather Forsyth repeatedly asked Prentice to apologize for “blaming Albertans” for the PCs record of fiscal mismanagement.

“Albertans don’t deserve to be the scapegoat for the failures of your government, whether it’s the past or the present. Just how much are you going to make Albertans pay for the mistakes of your government?” asked Forsyth.

Prentice responded by saying he takes responsibility for his comments, noting even “former members” of the Wildrose know that “I have been the harshest critic of former governments and that is in fact why I’m here in this position.

“I intend to continue to serve Albertans and I intend to continue to take responsibility for what I say.”

Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann critisized the government for fostering a “negligent fiscal structure” and asked Prentice what he plans to do so Albertans aren’t “left sweeping up broken dreams after the mirror shatters.”

Prentice said he doesn’t want children in Alberta to inherit broken dreams but rather sound finances, touting the government’s March 26 budget as a 10-year fiscal plan to get the province off the oil revenue roller coaster.

Also calling for Prentice to apologize, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Prentice “should acknowledge that it’s his party’s failures that have left Alberta so financially vulnerable.”

Prentice defended himself by saying he is “one of the harshest critics” of the way past PC governments have managed the province’s finances “and that is why I am in this chamber, that is why I intend on doing the right thing for Albertans.”

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca

@SunMattDykstra