1 week Ago By Don Braid, Calgary Herald
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has a clear and appealing plan for Alberta’s oil and gas industry. The vision he laid out Wednesday in Calgary could win him votes here, and everywhere in Canada. But, with good reason, many Albertans will ask — does he mean it? Even if he does, can he get it past the Liberal caucus and cabinet that revelled in treating the Alberta industry like anthrax? We’ll find out soon enough if the Liberals win.
Premier Danielle Smith won’t buy his line, that’s for sure. Meanwhile, Carney is an effective salesman. He doesn’t perform or emote in the standard political way that seems so phoney.
Carney explained his plan with a clarity and intellectual rigour that Justin Trudeau couldn’t muster on a single day as prime minister. Carney found a way, at least rhetorically, to give oil and gas a permanent, legitimate place within the drive for clean energy. In these times, even ardent climate action types could find his views appealing.
He vows to make Canada “the world’s leading energy superpower.” Related'We need to fight': Mark Carney blasts Trump and tariffs during Calgary campaign stopBraid: Conservatives see rebound as Trump goes quiet about Canada This means forging ahead with clean energy, Carney said, “but at the same time we want to dominate the market for conventional energy, and in order to do that in the long term, it needs to be lower carbon.” He’s promising to turn Ottawa bureaucracy away from years of sabotaging oil and gas development.
Projects would be approved quickly and enthusiastically. That won’t be any easier than forcing Flames fans to cheer for the Oilers. But Carney says: “I have already agreed with the provinces and territories that we will build national interest projects, including energy projects here in Alberta.
” Specifically, Carney calls for retooling the Impact Assessment Act so it approves projects rather than stalling and denying them. Ottawa would accept environmental assessments from provinces and First Nations, rather than subjecting everything to a federal study. “We will sign co-operation agreements with them (the provinces) and that will allow us to rely on the assessments of those provinces, which is another way of fast-tracking,” Carney said.
“I’m focused on getting things done in conventional (energy) as well as clean.” He says reforming the Impact Assessment Act is better than abolishing it, only to create a new law that’s challenged in court for 10 years. But even the Supreme Court couldn’t really change this system.
The Court found large parts of the act to be unconstitutional . The bureaucrats simply went on as before. Former environment minister Steven Guilbeault painted the ruling as a small technical matter.
It’s a long stretch to believe these people will suddenly be the ardent friends of conventional oil and gas, no matter how clean it is. Trudeau laid down the official mantra in 2017. “We can’t shut down the oilsands tomorrow,” he said.
“We need to phase them out. We need to manage the transition off our dependence on fossil fuels.” Carney’s challenge is to reverse that entrenched Liberal paradigm.
His key practical move will be to create a special office for major national projects. It’s supposed to eliminate meddling from various departments and approve projects within two years. Carney repeated his desire to make Canada economically independent of the U.
S., create national energy corridors, build new pipelines and make western energy available across the country. But one test for the Liberals will be the abolition of Bill C-59 , which forces the oil industry into silence about its own environmental gains.
Carney didn’t mention that. If he really does accept oil and gas as a legitimate, long-term industry, he must rescind a law that treats it like a criminal enterprise. Taken in isolation, Carney’s prescription is very appealing.
Even the UCP would privately agree with much of it. Remarkably, he’s willing to return some of the power seized by the feds back to the provinces. He might persuade the country, but can he persuade official Ottawa? Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald X and Bluesky : @DonBraid To learn more about who’s running in your riding and the focus of their campaigns, check out our list of federal election candidates in Calgary and Southern Alberta.
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