It is usually highly subjective process to create a most popular anything list but elections are popularity contests so we have some very solid numbers to work from. We analysed the results directly from the Elections Alberta database for the April 16th 2019 election and were a bit suprised to […]
The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to the BC coast has been stalled for the last 6 months. Today Rachel Notley received a standing ovation at a talk in BC in which she explained the economic and environmental argument for the pipeline.
We have two versions (full and highlights) of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s speech to the Alberta Teachers Association conference in Edmonton in which she explains that the Trans Mountain Pipeline will not cause increased carbon emissions because: The demand for oil will increase through 2045 and that demand will be met […]
We reviewed Jason Kenny’s selections for his first UCP Cabinet and came up with some interesting statistics: 3 or 15% – The number and percentage of previously elected Progressive Conservatives (PC) that are now Cabinet Ministers . 2 or 10% – The number and percentage of previously elected Wildrose party […]
This op-ed piece is taking a short departure from our mandate of shedding light on facts and avoiding opinion. After the election, we had discussions thoughtful, educated people referring to the NDP as “crazy lefties”, “nutty greenies” and “anti-pipeline activists” all of which we think is inaccurate. Keep in mind […]
If you live in Alberta, BC, Ontario… ok… Canada, or the US or UK or Australia… ok… if you live on planet earth, you have heard about Carbon Taxes. Those that are for them claim they will cure all environmental ills and those against claim they are just another government […]
Chestermere will be the site of Alberta’s most contentious leaders debate in the 2019 election cycle. Derek Fildebrandt is the sitting member of the Alberta Legislature for the riding of Strathmore-Brooks. Leela Aheer is the sitting member for Chestermere-Rocky View. These two ridings have had their boundaries redrawn and the […]
There is a fair amount of misinformation floating around the oil sector about the oil production cuts that Premier Rachel Notley announced on Dec 2nd 2018. Here are the facts in a simple FAQ format: 1 – Where did the number 325,000 barrels per day come from? Alberta estimates that […]
In a word, yes. While conventional oil production in Alberta has been at the same level for years, Alberta’s oil sands have hit yet another production record and the oil will move one way or another. As you can see in the chart below, Canada is out of pipeline capacity […]
This question of support for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project by Rachel Notley’s Alberta NDP and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals has been bandied around for a few years now. The answer is obvious. Trudeau’s liberals bought the pipeline for $4.5 Billion dollars and Notley’s NDP said they want to buy in. […]
The recent Federal Court decision holding up the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project makes for great political debate and emotional exaggeration but is not nearly as onerous as many people are make out. Put simply the decision said just two things: Consultation that has already been COMPLETED needs to respond […]
Should the Province of Alberta buy the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Kinder-Morgan if they want to walk away from the project? That question was posed to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley today and she responded with an emphatic ‘Yes!’.
It has become abundantly clear, whether you are for or opposed to this particular pipeline or not, that having the relatively simple twinning of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline fail to be built would signify the end of even medium scale infrastructure projects in Canada.
There will always be interest groups and affected people that have some legitimate claim against a large project. The standard for projects should not be keeping everyone happy. The standard for infrastructure projects MUST be if they are in the national interest. That national interest contains a giant list important factors including:
Multinational trade negotiations are often accused being a closed door mess with a never ending series of mistakes, but Canadian negotiating strategies on NAFTA have been very successful.
Successful is a subjective word and this site aims to keep to the facts and avoid too much opinion, so let’s define success. In the context NAFTA negotiations, success is defined as a trade agreement that is as favorable to your country as possible, with least amount of drama.
Canada, so far, has been “walking softly and carrying a big stick” with the following successful tactics:
1. Starting Negotiations With Demands: Canada laid out its criteria early in the process. This instantly gave the Canadian negotiators important bargaining chips to potentially throw in at the end to close a deal. Things like the dispute mechanisms and protecting the Dairy industry make great domestic politics, which bolsters your position with the other side, but are “nice to haves” and not truly critical to the success of a final deal.
2. Quietly Racking Up Negotiating Chips: In Canada’s case starting superficially unrelated proceedings, like attacking Boeing’s now demonstrably malicious claim against Bombardier, and starting a WTO claim against the US’ unfair trade practices, gives Canadian negotiators more “chips” to bargain with. Massive deals like NAFTA often include side arrangements to terminate other proceedings.
As you have no doubt heard, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has forced oil production cuts starting at 350,000 barrels per day in January 2019 and hopes to reduce those cuts to 95,000 barrels per day by the end of 2019. We wanted to know how much oil is that so […]