AB Today – Daily Report October 7, 2020 Quotation of the day “Most of what we’re talking about doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime.” Premier Jason Kenney says the province’s natural gas strategy will rely on governments ​ ​ “getting out of the way” — not subsidizing the industry. Today in AB On the schedule The house will reconvene on Tuesday, October 20. Premier watch Premier Jason Kenney didn’t pull any punches when asked by reporters about the Alberta ​ ​ Federation of Labour’s boycottUCPdonors.ca website, which lists donors to the Shaping ​ ​ Alberta’s Future PAC. “I think this is deeply disturbing, that in the middle of a huge recession, we have the NDP and its special interest friends attacking Alberta job creators at their most challenging time in a century,” Kenney said in a five-minute response to the question. NDP Leader Rachel Notley neither condemned nor praised AFL’s campaign, but said the ​ ​ public has the right to know what businesses are involved with Shaping Alberta’s Future, which recently took out an ad encouraging the province to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan. AFL president Gil McGowan sits on the NDP’s board of directors and the union is ​ ​ constitutionally tied to the party. Recycling, hydrogen key pillars of diversification strategy The UCP is betting on hydrogen and recycling as it lays plans to diversify the province’s energy sector. The government’s new Natural Gas Vision and Strategy will encourage new business ​ ​ development in petrochemical manufacturing, LNG and hydrogen production, and plastics recycling. Premier Jason Kenney, Energy Minister Sonya Savage and Natural Gas and Electricity ​ ​ ​ ​ Associate Minister Dale Nally were at ATCO’s heavy repair depot in Edmonton with CEO ​ ​ Nancy Southern, who sat on the province’s economic recovery council. ​ The plan is to generate jobs and wealth for the province by seeking out new development arenas within the natural gas chain. That includes continuing to boost the manufacturing of plastics, made from petrochemicals, ​ ​ while also positioning the province as a leader in plastics recycling, an increasingly in-demand sector. “Alberta can utilize its petrochemical and research and innovation sectors to capitalize on this opportunity,” the strategy states. The UCP’s goal is to position Alberta as the “Western North America centre of excellence for plastics diversion and recycling” by 2030. The government estimates if the industry recaptures the 95 per cent of plastic packaging that is currently thrown away, it could be worth $100 billion to $150 billion annually. “Plastics are not a problem, waste is the problem,” Nally said. Tactics include investing in research and pilot projects that advance plastics recycling methods and allowing Alberta to grow its plastics feedstock “watershed” to allow sufficient economies of scale to facilitate advanced chemical recycling opportunities. However, the federal government is poised to throw a wrench in at least some of these plans. The Globe and Mail is reporting Ottawa will announce a plan today to add plastics to its toxic ​ ​ ​ chemicals list, and roll out a preliminary list of banned single-use plastic items. ​ Hydrogen build out The growing demand for hydrogen offers a “new strategic opportunity” for Alberta, per the government. By producing hydrogen that can be deployed in the transportation, home-heating and industrial fuel sectors, the province can help Canada achieve its Paris targets, the strategy states, while bolstering the province’s economy. The goal is to have large-scale hydrogen production happening across the province by 2030 — and a system in place to export the product to Canada, North America and globally by 2040. Nally said he aims to grow the sector by more than $30 billion over the next decade. The UCP’s first steps are to develop a roadmap of the hydrogen market, work with other western provinces to align their policies, and establish joint federal, provincial and private sector funding pathways “to stimulate initial build-out.” However, Premier Kenney said the strategy isn’t reliant on subsidies. “Most of what we’re talking about doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime,” he told reporters Tuesday. Next year, ATCO will open a plant near Fort Saskatchewan that will mix “blue hydrogen” with the natural gas supply to reduce emissions. In August, an analysis by the Petroleum Economist said the government would be better to ​ ​ ​ ​ pursue hydrogen over petrochemical diversification as plastics face growing opposition. Today’s events October 7 at 10 a.m. — Teleconference ​ ​ Energy Minister Sonya Savage will make an announcement related to geothermal energy. ​ ​ October 7 at 1:30 p.m. — Redwater ​ ​ Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon will attend a grand opening ceremony for the ​ ​ Diamond Spring Lodge in Redwater. October 7 at 5 p.m. — Edmonton ​ ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at la Cité ​ ​ francophone Cultural Centre. Topics of conversation ● The province announced 276 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the total number of active cases to 1,900 (up 117). ○ As of Tuesday, 281 people have died (up one). There are now 61 people hospitalized (down one), including 13 in ICU (down one). ○ Asked about the potential for new safety restrictions in Edmonton as cases soar, Premier Jason Kenney said Alberta will not be able to enforce its way out of the ​ ​ pandemic and pleaded with people to stay home when they are feeling sick. ○ The NDP continues to push for the release of new modelling data on the pandemic; Dr. Deena Hinshaw said it’s still under development. ​ ​ ● Alberta’s energy exports are showing signs of improvement, but there is a chasm between year over year figures. ○ Overall, monthly energy exports were up seven per cent in August compared to July, but are still down 31 per cent, or $2.2 billion compared to August 2019, leaving a gap of $17.8 billion. ● Almost half of Alberta CEOs expect employment levels to drop over the next 12 months. That’s according to the inaugural Alberta Business Expectations Survey conducted by The Business Council of Alberta. ○ The survey found 47 per cent Alberta CEOs expected lower employment levels in a year compared to where they are now. ○ That drop in employment comes even as 88 per cent of CEOs expect sales to stay the same or improve over the next 12 months. ● The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is crying foul after officers redeployed to respond to violent crime under the province’s RAPID rural crime force weren’t given a pay bump. ○ The AUPE says the government spent money on additional guns and body armour, but Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers, sheriffs and commercial enforcement officers have not seen a pay increase as promised, even though they attend homicide, domestic violence and gun crimes calls. ○ The union says top RCMP constables earn $86,000, while a similar ranking Fish and Wildlife officer will make $71,000. ○ “The government is asking these members to become first responders, to attend violent crime scenes that will put them at great risk, but says the extra risk, the extra work and extra training will not result in any changes to their pay,” AUPE vice-president Mike Dempsey said in a news release. ​ ​ ● Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan pitched a plan for a green economic recovery in a ​ ​ ​ ​ Facebook post. ○ Khan wrote that oil and gas will still be a “vital part of Alberta’s economy,” but the province should look at converting bitumen into carbon fibre for manufacturing and construction, or using lithium waste to produce batteries. ○ Khan also pointed to the need for carbon capture and storage and “small, community-based programs that allow individuals to take control of their carbon footprints.” ● AntiHate.ca published an exposé on the Alberta Separatist Youth League, a group of ​ ​ men under the age of 26 who privately espouse anti-Semitic, racist and authoritarian views, but have public ties to western separatist parties. ○ The leaders of the group have served on the boards of both the Wexit Alberta and Alberta Advantage parties, as well as the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. ● Nick Taylor, the former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party from 1974 to 1988, and MLA ​ until 1996, died at the age of 92. ○ After his time as an MLA, he was appointed to the Senate where he served from 1996 to 2002. News briefs Government launches condo dispute resolution consultations ● The government is undertaking a review of the rules around condominium dispute resolution. ○ It is weighing the creation of a condominium dispute resolution tribunal and the disclosure of hearing tribunal decisions. An online survey will be available until ​ ​ November 10. Affordable housing panel hands over report ● Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon said she has received the report from the ​ ​ Affordable Housing Panel, struck in July — but it won’t be released to the public until the government studies its findings. ○ “I am confident the combined expertise of the panel members and the valuable insights from Albertans will help us identify more efficient, effective, and sustainable approaches to affordable housing,” Pon said. NDP accuses UCP of shady backroom dealing on municipal assessment review ● NDP Leader Rachel Notley and Municipal Affairs critic Joe Ceci held a news ​ ​ ​ ​ conference calling on the government to scrap plans to change the municipal property tax assessment model to favour oil producers. ○ The Opposition accused the UCP government of downloading costs onto municipalities to avoid raising taxes at the provincial level. ○ “They make municipalities take all the crap for this,” Ceci said. ○ Notley said based on lobbyist records, the government has met with at least 11 large-scale oil companies hoping for a tax break under the new model.