Greenpeace issues legal warning to Alberta inquiry into alleged foreign-funded anti-energy campaigns

OPINION | Hey Alberta, how is it going so far?

Dear Alberta Conservatives:

Now that U.S. President Joe Biden has followed through on his promise to cancel the Keystone XL permit, I have to ask you all a simple question: How is this working?

I'm not trying to be mean about it. I understand why this province elected the UCP with historic turnout in 2019.

I get the appeal of that campaign, the lure of nostalgia that it evoked. It was a tempting fantasy, one in which Rachel Notley allied with Justin Trudeau, and Alberta's noble oil industry was beleaguered by a gaggle of environmentalists and socialists, who were conspiring to bring the province down.

I also understand why so many bought into the claim that by electing a conservative government, we could just make all of these problems go away; that Alberta would return to the glory days of 2014, or 2005, or 1994. Or 1973.

The 2019 campaign promised tax cuts that would bring the jobs back; fiscal discipline; fair deal panels that would put Ottawa in its place and highlight this province's growing, muscular sense of its own independence.

A white knight returns

Kenney promised to rescind the job-killing-carbon-tax. He promised to be a premier who would win the province glory, a white knight and returning prodigal son who would finally fight for Alberta.

He promised "war rooms" and inquiries that would finally unearth Alberta's nefarious enemies.

Somehow, this was all going to work wonders for pipeline capacity � which is why it made sense to invest $1.5 billion in taxpayer money in Keystone XL. Whoops.

Almost two years into this mandate, I have to ask: How has it been going? Is this working?

From the cheap seats, things don't look great. I've been trying to come up with one single solitary win since that election, and I can't find it. It looks to me like the UCP spun a fantasy in 2019 that it now can't make real.

And, yeah, this province has been hard hit by COVID-19, but I thought I was being generous by putting that file to the side for a moment.

"Scape" said

My money is he will do neither and keep up the denialism. Head in sand seem to be the mascot of modern conservative thought.

"Scape" said
The great decoupling has begun. Either Kennedy learns to kiss Trudeau's ass to do a last gasp gamble to keep the pipeline in which he will need to fully embrace climate change and carbon credits (highly unlikely) to try an convince Biden and Kerry to change their minds or he finally starts to realize that there needs to be a transition strategy from a carbon based economy to a sustainable one. Also unlikely as Kennedy's grasp on reality seems to be tenuous at best.

My money is he will do neither and keep up the denialism. Head in sand seem to be the mascot of modern conservative thought.

Environmental law group to challenge Alberta oil inquiry in court


An environmental law charity is to ask a judge today to shut down Alberta's inquiry into the purported foreign funding of anti-oil campaigns.

Ecojustice argues in its written submissions that the inquiry was formed for an improper purpose, which the law charity says was to intimidate those concerned about the environmental effects of oil and gas development.

The group also contends there's a reasonable apprehension of bias and that the inquiry is dealing with matters outside of Alberta's jurisdiction � arguments the provincial government disputes in its submissions.

Ecojustice executive director Devon Page has described the inquiry as a "political stunt that's not based in reality" and wants it shut down.

Lawyers for the provincial government say cabinet is entitled � and mandated � to decide what's in the public interest and what issues warrant a public inquiry.