Alberta's public inquiry into whether foreign money is bankrolling anti-oil protests in Canada is going into overtime.
Energy Minister Sonya Savage says the initial findings from the inquiry's commissioner, Steve Allan, show more work is needed to complete the final report.
So, Savage says the government is extending the deadline for the report to Oct. 30 from July 2.
Also, an extra $1 million will be added to the existing $2.5-million budget.
The cash will be diverted from the budget of the Canadian Energy Centre, the government's so-called energy "war room."
The inquiry was an election promise by Premier Jason Kenney, who has said he believes foreign funders are pulling the strings on domestic protesters to undermine Alberta's oil and gas industry.
Critics say Allan is not fact finding but is out to prove a pre-determined conclusion and in doing so harming the reputations of those who legitimately and lawfully question the expansion of oil and gas operations.
Late last year, the environmental law firm Ecojustice launched legal action, asking a court to strike down the inquiry, saying the process is politically motivated, prejudges conclusions and is outside provincial jurisdiction.
Savage, in a statement issued Thursday, said it's critical that Allan have the resources and time to do the job properly.
"How Alberta — and Canada — come through this economic crisis depends in large part on the survival and successful recovery of our energy sector," said Savage.
"We look forward to the recommendations of the commissioner. We will do whatever it takes to support one of Canada’s most important industries as we set a path towards economic recovery and renewed prosperity.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2020.
Comments
"Alberta's public inquiry into whether foreign money is bankrolling anti-oil protests in Canada is going into overtime."
Translation: they haven't found anything of any significance yet, so they neesd more time to make mountains out of molehills.
Of course, we all know that there is absolutely *no* foreign funding of Canada's oil industry or climate change denial.
Right on Richard Hennick! And, so what if they do? It's called "global" warming...not "Alberta" warming. And, are we not now all citizens of the world and responsible to make the transition, in a socially and economically just manner, away from fossil fuels and towards renewable clean energy?
Would that this fossil fuel industry critic could have received ANY funding for expressing his opinions over the years!
Meanwhile:
million-mile batteries are set to be released by GM and Tesla, accompanied by extraordinary electric vehicle ranges on a single charge
cobalt has been eliminated in some batteries currently in development, therein chances are that the market-based cost of electric vehicles will ring in close to the list price gasoline cars even before government grants are applied to zero emission vehicles
VW, Volvo, Toyota, Ford, Daimler and all the other major carmakers have already spent a large portion of their collective hundreds of billions in funding for the construction of electric car factories, which are expected to start flooding the world market in the next two years
The International Energy Agency recently released a report that projects financial sector investments in renewables will for the first time exceed investments in fossil fuels in 2021 in part from directed post-pandemic recovery efforts, mainly because of the very high growth potential and excellent returns
All this will likely lead to a potentially precipitous drop in world oil demand by mid-decade. Alberta doesn’t seem to have a clue what is actually occurring out there in the wider world, and will have a very hard time propagandizing their falling off the economic cliff.
Poor Albertans! They elected folks who clearly are unable to see what's going on in the world around them — or else they are in severe denial. It will be interesting to see what Kenney et al say once all that electric energy comes online. Poor Albertans!
Too bad Alberta wouldn’t convene an enquire into the sources of funding for the anti-climate change groups there. That is the more important issue.