RonLiepertMP.ca Summer 2020 A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MP CONTACT INFO Summer of 2020 will be like no other The risk of COVID-19 remains, but it is OTTAWA OFFICE ever experienced by Albertans. No time to assess how we responded House of Commons Stampede, no community and what we have learned, to see if Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 celebrations, no sporting events. But things could have been handled Tel. 613-992-3066 as I write this message, the sun is differently. Similarly, I want to CONSTITUENCY shining and there is a feeling around address a few longer term matters, OFFICE the community that the brunt of such as Canada’s financial position, 8561 8A Ave SW COVID-19 may have passed. the future of Parliament and the Suite 2216 possibility of a fall election. Calgary, AB, T3H 0V5 Although life may seem to be Tel. 403-292-6666 “returning to normal”, there is little Many of you that have been receiving doubt that the implications of this my weekly COVID-19 email updates Mail may be sent postage unprecedented situation are far from know that I try to lay out the facts of free to either office. over. The impact on both individuals a situation and balance with political and businesses will be widespread commentary. This newsletter is no and devastating. The Alberta different. I will offer credit where it is [email protected] economy is projected to shrink by due for the government’s handling of RonLiepertMP.ca 5.8% according to the Conference the crisis, but there is room for Board of Canada - which is unheard criticism as well. I believe my role as of. Mental health will continue to be your MP is to keep you informed, to a significant concern for many of us share my views and to hear your SURVEY in the days and weeks ahead. suggestions. I respect that not I would like to hear your views on everyone always agrees with how I the handling of the COVID-19 Despite all of that I get the sense in see it - and as always, I look forward pandemic, and on where we go from here. Please visit talking to Albertans that they are to your comments. ready to take this battle head-on, and www.RonLiepertMP.ca/survey or after how we responded to the call of Sincerely, turn to page 3 for details. health officials to beat back the virus, no one can doubt our sincerity. The purpose of this newsletter is to try to provide the beginnings of a “post- mortem” to one of the most grim first halves of a calendar year that any of Ron Liepert us can remember. AN OVERVIEW OF PARLIAMENT’S COVID-19 RESPONSE • March 25 - COVID-19 Emergency Response Act is • April 22 - Government announces $9 billion in grants passed. Opposition negotiates changes that limit for students. Opposition negotiates a change requir- government’s spending power (original proposal ing students to actively look for work opportunities would require no parliamentary approval until the while being on the benefit. end of 2021). • May 11 - The National Post reports from internal gov- • April 6 - The Canada Emergency Response Benefit ernment sources that at least 200,000 CERB applica- (CERB) application opens. The opposition presses tions have been flagged as fraudulent, but that no the government to implement changes to allow peo- verification is being done. The government dismisses ple to continue working while on CERB. After several this, saying “cleanup will be done later”. weeks, government agrees. • May 20 - The government announces the Large Em- • April 9 - The Canada Emergency Business Account ployer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF), a loan (CEBA) launches, giving businesses an interest free, program for large businesses, including oil and gas. partially forgivable, $40,000 loan. The opposition The program is announced with few details, and com- asks that eligibility be expanded to support alterna- panies encounter challenges accessing funds. tive payroll structures such as dividends and consult- • May 25 - The Liberals shut down Parliament until Sep- ant fees. The government initially refuses, calling tember after receiving support from the NDP in ex- such structures “taxation management strategies” change for a plan to provide 10 sick days per year to but eventually modifies the program. workers. SOME POSITIVES FOR THE ENERGY SECTOR The global pandemic, which significantly reduced the bitumen. The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, capturing demand for oil, led to one of the most difficult times in carbon from this plant and the nearby Nutrien fertilizer history for North America’s oil and gas sector. In the midst plant, is also operational and injecting carbon into oil of the crisis, Western Canadian oil prices hit negative reserves in eastern Alberta. Carbon captured in this territory and many Canadian companies were headed project is the equivalent to all carbon emitted by every towards the “penny stocks” territory. Despite these automobile in the province. challenges, the outlook for the second half of 2020 is somewhat brighter. • Inter Pipeline’s $3.5 billion petrochemical plant, producing recyclable plastics from propane, is Indications are that Saudi Arabia and Russia learned a scheduled to be on stream next year. Meanwhile, lesson from their attempts to flood the market with cheap construction has started on Pembina Pipelines’ $4.5 oil and will continue production curtailment into the billion petrochemical complex near Edmonton which is future. Prices are now trending into the $40 per barrel scheduled to be on stream in 2023. range and companies are not only talking about releasing some of their shut-in production, but also possibly The government’s billion dollar commitment to the investing this fall in drilling activity. province to clean up inactive oil and gas wells should create a number of jobs in the province this summer. Construction continues on the TransMountain pipeline to Hopefully this initiative will help employ individuals who the B.C. coast and the Keystone XL project to the gulf would normally work in the drilling sector. Due to low oil coast of the U.S. With the added rail capacity and reduced and gas prices, less than 20 drilling rigs are currently active demand, transportation should become less of a problem. in the province. Other encouraging signs: Clearly the financial challenges facing the industry are far from over though things are looking a little better than a • The Northwest Refinery outside Edmonton is now fully few months ago. operational and producing low carbon diesel from Thank you to all who remain on the front lines. Your service and selflessness is inspiring to us all. PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT LIMITED IMPLICATIONS OF DURING THE CRISIS COVID-19 ON The role of the Official Opposition in Parliament is to provide oversight of government initiatives. Conservatives agreed to adjourn the House of FEDERAL Commons for five weeks on March 13 to deal with the crisis. The Liberal government, with the backing of the NDP, has refused to re-convene Par- FINANCES liament until September at the earliest. While a hybrid committee sat four days per week to deal with issues related to COVID-19, MPs are basically handcuffed to seek answers to valid questions posed by constituents. The enormous amount of spending related to COVID-19, as well as the The government is content to have the Prime Minister appear daily outside Rideau Cottage to give his briefings which are widely covered by the me- structural deficits already in place dia. Little to no media coverage originates from the floor of the House of prior to the pandemic, will compound Commons. The opposition is faced with the challenge of receiving no me- additional debt onto the Government dia coverage when asking questions raised by constituents in committee. of Canada balance sheet. The This extensive media coverage, aided by billions of dollars being handed Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) out on almost a daily basis, has boosted Justin Trudeau’s personal popu- released an outlook on the country’s larity numbers outside of Alberta and Saskatchewan, dramatically leading finances April 30th. Here are some to speculation of a fall election. key points. Pollsters are indicating a window may be open this fall whereby the Liberal party could win a majority government. This is further complicated by the • Real GDP for 2020 is expected to fall fact the Conservative leadership race has been delayed until August leav- 12%. This is the worst performance ing little time before a possible election call. on record (the second worst was in Projections are that the budget deficit this current fiscal year could be in 1982 where GDP declined 3.2%) the $250 billion range pushing Canada’s total net debt over the trillion dollar mark. The government is refusing to even provide any answers re- • Based on announced spending to garding the deficit and isn’t indicating when, or if, a budget will be pre- April 24th the projected federal sented. deficit for this fiscal year April 2020 to March 2021 is $250 billion. Conservatives have maintained that Parliament could sit, with reduced numbers adhering to health regulations, ask those questions and provide • The federal deficit will represent that oversight. 12.7% of GDP in 2020-2021. • PBO suggests that it is not Survey unthinkable that the federal debt I would like to hear your thoughts about the government’s handling of could actually total more than $1 trillion this fiscal year. COVID-19. If you would prefer to take this survey online, please visit www.ronliepertmp.ca/survey • PBO suggests that current spending is temporary - but that additional Name: _____________________________________________________________________ economic stimulation (also known as Email: ______________________________________________________________________ more spending) will be required in order to restart the economy post- Postal Code: _______________________________________________________________ pandemic.