AB Today – Daily Report February 8, 2019

Quotation of the day

“Bad things don’t happen at the application stage.”

Alberta Energy Regulator VP Mark Taylor tells a Senate committee that Alberta’s regulatory system is already robust — and the province doesn’t need Bill C-69.

Today in AB

On the schedule

The legislature will reconvene on March 18 for the government’s final throne speech before the spring election.

Alberta officials say province’s monitoring of oilsands projects proves its strong regulatory climate

The Alberta Energy Regulator gave its two cents on the federal government’s contentious Bill C-69, Impact Assessment Act, during the second day of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resource’s public hearings on the bill Thursday. The legislation, which revamps Canada’s natural resources review process, has faced fierce opposition from Alberta politicians, the energy industry and members of the business community

who warn it will further slow the environmental review process for pipelines and other large infrastructure projects.

Mark Taylor, executive vice-president of operations for the Alberta Energy Regulator, defended the province’s existing energy infrastructure regulation model before the committee, saying it is adequately “robust” and does not require federal interference.

The AER currently monitors energy projects, including those in the oilsands, from their pre-application stage through their construction and operations to a final “abandonment” and reclamation stage.

Taylor said it is impossible for a regulator to have an “outcomes focused approach” to energy development that shows “empathy” to the stakeholders working within its regulatory system if it does not have full oversight of a project from cradle to grave.

Bill C-69 is focused on the early environmental assessment stage of projects and divides oversight under three federal departments: environment and climate change, natural resources and transport.

Conservative New Brunswick Senator Percy Mockler agreed with Taylor’s testimony, warning that the split oversight would create a “fragmented process” that could result in uncertainty for energy companies and investors.

Mockler warns the bill will also carve up control of the licensing system energy developers must navigate through the establishment of a new Impact Assessment Agency and a revamped Canadian Energy Regulator. (The former would conduct environmental reviews, while the latter would issue licences).

Taylor said “Bad things don’t happen at the application stage.” Rather, it is the later phases of a project where non-compliance issues can arise.

Speaking to the committee via video conference from Calgary, Wade Clark, the Alberta Energy Ministry’s executive director of resources development, said in-situ oilsands projects are a great example of where Alberta’s regulatory system is working well.

“Oilsands in-situ projects have been delisted from the former [Canadian Environmental Assessment Act] legislation for some time,” Clark said. “That process has been executed quite effectively in Alberta.”

Environment Minister Shannon Phillips has pushed Ottawa to guarantee that federal assessment will not start accounting for downstream greenhouse gas emissions once Bill C-69 is law.

Currently the list of projects the legislation will apply to, and whether it will apply to in-situ mining, is unknown.

Taylor also told the committee Bill C-69 threatens to encroach on the constitutional jurisdiction provinces have over their natural resources.

The Trudeau government says the bill is needed to clarify development assessment regulation mistakes made under former prime minister Stephen Harper that led to the federal Court of Appeal blocking the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

The UCP requested a witness slot to appear before the Senate’s energy committee but did not make the cut.

On Thursday the committee also heard from representatives from the National Energy Board, the Nunavut Impact Review Board and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

On Wednesday it heard from environmental groups, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the justice department and the deputy ministers of Transport Canada and Natural Resources Canada.

Some senators expressed concern the bill will open pipelines up to even more legal disputes.

Alberta Senator Doug Black has called on the committee to schedule travelling hearings so its members can hear from more people in Western Canada who oppose the bill.

Today’s events

February 8 at 10 a.m. – Fort Saskatchewan Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson and NDP MLA for Fort Saskatchewan — Vegreville Jessica Littlewood will announce funding for an affordable housing apartment, Dr. Turner Lodge, in Fort Saskatchewan.

February 8 at 5 p.m. – Edmonton Alberta Party candidate for Edmonton—North West Judy Kim-Meneen will belt out tunes with party leader Stephen Mandel in a karaoke sing-off fundraiser at the Ginseng Korean BBQ restaurant in Edmonton.

Weekend events

February 9 at 1 p.m. – Edmonton The Alberta NDP and The Action Network will host a volunteer engagement event entitled “True North: How Progressives Win in 2019” at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 175 in Edmonton.

February 9 at 5:30 p.m. – Calgary The Alberta Liberal Party will hold a tribute event for former leader Dr. David Swann at Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Centre. Swann, the Liberal MLA for Calgary-Mountain View, has served in the legislature since 2004 and will not run for re-election.

February 9 at 6 p.m. – Chestermere Leela Sharon Aheer, UCP MLA for Chestermere—Rockyview and candidate for the newly created riding of Chestermere—Strathmore, will “sing for her supper” at a steak and wine fundraiser themed “All That Political Jazz.”

February 10 at 1 p.m. – Airdrie Alex Luterbach, Alberta Party candidate for Airdrie—East, will hold a meet and greet event at Genesis Place.

Topics of conversation

● Saskatchewan media won a right to broadcast Saskatchewan Court of Appeal proceedings when the province takes the federal government’s carbon tax legislation to court next week. ○ The United Conservative Party will act as an intervenor in its neighbour’s legal challenge against the federally mandated carbon pricing system, which is set to go into effect in April. ○ A five-judge panel will hear arguments on whether or not the tax is constitutional on February 13 and 14.

● Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel vowed, if elected premier, to funnel proceeds from the province’s hotel tax directly into tourism initiatives rather than into general revenues, as is the status quo. ○ Mandel made the comments last week in the tourism hotbed of Canmore.

● At a recent policy conference hosted by the University of Calgary School of Public Policy, former Alberta auditor general Merwan N. Saher told the crowd Alberta’s fiscal future is on shaky ground. ○ Saher warned Alberta reliance on natural resource revenues is not sustainable in the long-run and said future provincial governments need to establish a sound economic strategy for the next 30 to 70 years.

○ Alberta’s need for a long-term fiscal makeover was the subject of Saher’s final report as auditor general last April.

● Education Minister David Eggen and Premier Rachel Notley announced plans to develop an official Filipino language and culture curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 12. The curriculum will give schools that serve a large Filipino community the option of providing Filipino language offerings to their students. ○ This is the 26th language, aside from English and French, to be incorporated into the Alberta curriculum.

● The UCP continues to cry foul over government advertising that the opposition says skirts election spending rules. ○ Citing a column in the Calgary Herald, the party issued a news release that said recent television ads — which have so far cost $1.1 million of a budgeted $1.53 million — are self-promotion for the NDP. ○ The UCP accused its political foes of using taxpayer-funded ads to circumvent campaign spending laws, which cap political party spending at $2 million during the election period.

Funding Announcements

Fort Chipewyan First Nations and Métis receive solar farm funding

● Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan announced a $3.3 million grant to Three Nations Energy LP to help reduce Fort Chipewyan residents’ reliance on diesel fuel. ○ In partnership with ATCO, the Three Nations Energy LP — a corporation made up of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Métis Local 125 — will use the funds to build and operate a solar farm, which will be partially owned by the First Nations. ○ The funding comes from the province’s Climate Leadership Plan. ○ The project is expected to replace 25 per cent of the remote community’s diesel consumption.

Nominations NDP

● Rakhi Pancholi was acclaimed as the NDP candidate for Edmonton—Whitemud. The riding is currently held by NDP MLA Dr. Bob Turner, who is not running for re-election.

Freedom Conservative Party ● Cam Khan was acclaimed as the FCP candidate for Calgary—Northwest.

Lobbyist registrations

If you are looking for further information on any lobbying registry, it is all public and easily searchable here.

Consultants who registered as lobbyists from February 1, 2019 – February 7, 2019

● Marge Hollaway, Harvey Voogd, Jane Parks, Ian Murray, Patrick Spotowski, Robert V. Baer, Heather Jones, Sequent Group Ltd. o Clients: Air Products Canada Ltd.

● Aran O'Carroll, Bob Baer, Ian D. Murray, Marge Hollaway, Harvey Voogd, Patrick Spotowski, Sequent Group Ltd. o Clients: Mercer Peace River Pulp Ltd.

● Shayne Saskiw, Jon Wescott, Pascal Ryffel, Jenelle Saskiw, Bronte Valk, Zack Ziokoski, Cam MacKay, Alberta Counsel o Clients: Falun Dafa Association of Calgary

● Brookes Merritt, Kristin Anderson, Jordan Peterson, Global Public Affairs o Clients: Lime

● Brad Lavigne, Amber Ruddy, Counsel Public Affairs Inc o Clients: Alberta Real Estate Association

● Doug Noble, Global Public Affairs o Clients: PETRONAS Energy Canada Ltd

● Jenessa Crognali, Mike Van Soelen, Zoe Keirstead, Brent Kossey, 1689986 ALBERTA LIMITED carrying on business as Navigator o Clients: Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

● Mike Peters, Doug Noble, Global Public Affairs o Clients: Chevron Canada Limited; ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp.; Encana Corporation

● Doug Noble, Global Public Affairs o Clients: USD Terminals Canada II ULC

● Jason Ennis, Brookes Merritt, Elan MacDonald, Global Public Affairs o Clients: 543077 Alberta Ltd. Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from February 1, 2019 – February 7, 2019

● Purdue Pharma (Canada) ● Janssen Inc. ● Aphria Inc. ● Association of Professionals Engineers and Geoscientist of Alberta ● Advanced Biofuels Canada ● Construction Labour Relations – An Alberta Association ● Concrete Alberta ● West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ● Wolf Infrastructure Management Inc. ● EPCOR Utilities Inc. ● Takeda Canada Inc.

AB Today is written by Catherine Griwkowsky, reporting from Alberta's legislative press gallery.

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