AB Today – Daily Report December 13, 2018 Quotation of the day “A radical overhaul of Confederation is necessary if the political class want to stop an Alberta exit.” Freedom Conservative Party Leader Derek Fildebrandt on growing discontent within certain ​ ​ circles of Alberta that has re-opened conversations about separatism. Today in AB On the schedule The House is now on winter break until February. The government has not committed to holding a spring legislative session or to tabling a budget before next year’s election, which must be held on or before May 31, 2019. The following bills were given royal assent by Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell: ​ ​ ● Bill 19, An Act to Improve the Affordability and Accessibility of Post-secondary ​ Education; ● Bill 22, An Act for Strong Families Building Stronger Communities; ​ ● Bill 23, An Act to Renew Local Democracy in Alberta; ​ ● Bill 24, An Act to Recognize AMA Representation Rights; ​ ● Bill 25, Canyon Creek Hydro Development Act; ​ ● Bill 26, An Act to Combat Poverty and Fight for Albertans with Disabilities; ​ ● Bill 27, Joint Governance of Public Sector Pension Plans Act; ​ ● Bill 28, Family Statutes Amendment Act; ​ ● Bill 29, Public Service Employee Relations Amendment Act; ​ ● Bill 30, Mental Health Services Protection Act; ​ ● Bill 31, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act; and ​ ● Bill 32, City Charters Fiscal Framework Act. ​ Alberta’s carbon emissions cap regulations won’t be in place before next election Alberta’s Oil Sands Emissions Limit Act has been law for two years, but regulations to enact the legislation won’t be in place by the time Albertans head to the polls. The 100-megatonne cap on carbon emissions is part of the NDP government’s Climate Leadership Strategy, which includes the phaseout of coal-generated electricity by 2030, developing more renewable energy, and reducing methane emissions by 45 per cent by 2025. The Globe and Mail reported on the regulation delay late Tuesday evening, but the province ​ ​ ​ contends no specific timeline for rolling out the emissions cap was ever in place. “There was no timeline. We have always said that we would take the time necessary to work with industry to get the regulations right,” government spokesman Matt Dykstra said in a ​ ​ statement to AB Today. ​ ​ “When it comes to the regulations, we continue to engage with oil sands companies and other organizations as the corresponding regulations are developed,” Dykstra continued. “We need to get this right and as such, this work will continue over the coming year.” The province’s emissions are not projected to hit the proposed annual 100-megatonne cap until around 2030. Dykstra says this gives the government time to make sure regulations reflect the newest in clean technologies and extraction procedures. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struggles to unite environmental protectionism with the need ​ ​ to support the country’s energy sector, Alberta’s emissions cap — and its carbon tax — were frequently used by Ottawa as justification for pro-oil policy decisions, such as purchasing the Trans Mountain pipeline and exempting oil projects from federal impact assessments. In his statement to AB Today, Dykstra backed up Alberta’s success on this front: “The emissions ​ ​ cap is a cornerstone of our Climate Leadership Plan, which was responsible for federal pipeline approvals including the original approval of the Trans Mountain expansion project.” Notley frequently touts the emissions cap as Alberta’s answer to offsetting the environmental impact of oil production and pipelines. “Putting a cap on emissions from the oil sands means that a pipeline doesn’t increase emissions. It does mean we can get full value for our resources so we can keep building Alberta and investing in making life better,” Notley tweeted on November 28. The emissions plan was crafted by the Oil Sands Advisory Group. Created in 2016, the group ​ ​ was composed of industry representatives, Indigenous leaders, environmental advocates and labour groups that provided the government with “consensus advice to implement the oil sands emissions limit.” UCP caucus spokesperson Christine Myatt called the NDP-imposed emissions cap “arbitrary” ​ ​ and characterized it as another failure of negotiations between the province and the Trudeau government. “The NDP imposed an arbitrary emissions cap on Alberta — a cap on potential growth and opportunity — and has little to show from it from the Trudeau Liberals,” Myatt said. “A federal exemption for Alberta in-situ projects means little if Alberta cannot get pipelines built to move new product to market. What's more, despite the Alberta NDP's surrender to Ottawa, the federal government does not have constitutional jurisdiction over Alberta in-situ projects.” Myatt said the UCP’s platform will be released in due course. Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel said all Albertans have to do is wait 10 minutes and then ​ ​ the NDP will change its policy. “They go from pillar to post trying to garner some support from somebody — they’re just reaching for straws,” Mandel said. “The pièce de résistance was the pipeline, which they ranted and raved was going to start last summer and that didn’t work out. They’ve been trying ever since to come up with some sort of solution in the energy business. It’s almost childish now.” Today’s events December 13 at 9 a.m. – Edmonton ​ The Treasury Board committee will meet in the cabinet room of the Alberta Legislature. The Treasury Board committee will also meet again at 3 p.m. December 13 at 10:30 a.m. – Slave Lake ​ Premier Rachel Notley will address the Northern Leaders’ Summit to discuss northern Alberta’s ​ ​ role in economic recovery in the province at the Slave Lake Inn and Conference Centre. December 13 at 11 a.m. – Edmonton ​ NDP MLA for Edmonton—Mill Creek Denise Woollard will be speaking at the Habitat for ​ ​ Humanity home dedication for Carter Place at 23 Avenue and 24 Street. Topics of conversation ● The Government of Alberta’s “Keep Canada Working” digital counter was project on the outside of an Ottawa building where the Liberal Party of Canada was holding its holiday party last night. Premier Rachel Notley appears to take credit for the advertising stunt in ​ ​ this Tweet. ​ ​ ● The Conference Board of Canada released its Provincial Outlook economic forecast, ​ ​ which projects Alberta to continue its economic recovery thanks to shipments of oil by rail. ○ The province’s real GDP is expected to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2018 and 2.2 per cent in 2019, but the board says a lack of pipeline capacity and ongoing maintenance at U.S. refineries that process non-conventional oil could upset long-term economic growth. ○ The report stated that Newfoundland and Labrador is set to have Canada’s highest economic growth at a predicted 5.2 per cent. ● Postmedia columnist Don Braid penned a story on the growing number of separatist ​ ​ ​ voices in Alberta, which includes an interview with wellknown Calgary businessman W. ​ ​ Brett Wilson, who declared, “I’m not a separatist. I’m a frustrated nationalist who ​ doesn’t believe Confederation as designed is working in our favour. My first choice is to renegotiate Confederation. My second choice is to leave Confederation.” ○ Freedom Conservative Leader Derek Fildebrandt has also become an ​ ​ outspoken advocate for separation. In question period last month, he asked the government to “agree to hold a referendum in conjunction with the next provincial election for Alberta to renegotiate its constitutional relationship with the federal government,” saying the province has become a “glorified colony.” ○ On Wednesday Fildebrant responded to Braid’s column with a tweet saying, “A radical overhaul of confederation is necessary if the political class want[s] to stop an Alberta Exit.” ○ Speaking at an announcement on Tuesday, Premier Rachel Notley said she ​ ​ doesn’t think the separatist movement is growing, just getting louder. ● UCP MLA for Highwood Wayne Anderson has filed a formal complaint with Elections ​ ​ Alberta over the nomination in his riding. ​ ​ ○ Anderson, who received endorsements from several UCP MLAs as well as former Okotoks mayor Carrie Fischer, lost to Richard Sigurdson. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ Anderson told High River Online he “noticed some discrepancies” in the ​ ​ nomination voting process, which he reported to Elections Alberta, but said he would not provide further details until the elections authority makes its ruling. ● PressProgress released audio of an anonymously uploaded conversation in which ​ ​ ​ campaign insiders characterize Jeff Callaway’s UCP leadership campaign as a suicide ​ ​ mission designed to boost Jason Kenney’s fortunes and take down Brian Jean. ​ ​ ​ ​ ● The exchange is between UCP leadership candidate Jeff Callaway’s campaign ​ ​ manager Wendy Adam and an unnamed man. In the tape, Adam says Callaway plans ​ ​ to go “kamikaze” by sabotaging his own leadership campaign in an attempt to stop Jean, the former Wildrose leader, from securing the UCP nod. ○ The conversation was allegedly recorded during the UCP leadership race. ○ Adam said there needed to be more candidates than just Jean versus Jason ​ Kenney or else it would look like a PC versus Wildrose race — ”and everything ​ we brought together is going to go pooft.” ○ “He is going to run a serious campaign, but the reason we’re running Jeff as a serious campaign is Jeff will be able to say things about Brian Jean that Jason Kenney cannot,” Adam said. ○ “It’s a kamikaze mission,” the male voice says. “Exactly,” Adam responded. ○ Callaway eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed Kenney. ● The Alberta Fish and Game Association said it is opposed to UCP Leader Jason ​ Kenney’s proposed sale of Crown land in the Peace Country for agricultural purposes in ​ a news release issued Wednesday. ​ ​ ○ The news release slammed Kenney for calling the land “unproductive.” The organization contends the land is necessary to the survival of fish, wildlife and biodiversity in general.