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The province’s sweeping new climate change plan should come as no surprise for Albertans, Premier Rachel Notley said Thursday.

On the weekend, the NDP launched a climate strategy that includes a $3-billion broad-based carbon tax, an accelerated phase-out of coal-fired power and a cap on oilsands emissions.

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Speaking to reporters following her speech at an NDP fundraising reception at Stampede Park, Notley said she’s confident her government has a mandate from Albertans for the changes.

The NDP platform in the spring election that brought them to power promised to take leadership on climate change and a coal phase-out, but made no mention of a carbon tax.

“We talked a lot about the need to develop a climate change strategy and to look at different elements,” said Notley.

“I think this was always understood, that looking at whether we had an appropriate carbon price was absolutely one of the things that would be part of the climate change strategy. And so we were very clear about it.”