Bell: Smith, Freeland on collision course; Freeland says Team Carney loves Alberta
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'I think people are angry,' says Smith.
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She talks once again about how separatist sentiment was created by Ottawa. Liberal Ottawa.
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Freeland was deputy prime minister when Justin Trudeau was prime minister.
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Smith mentions how a separatist was elected in Alberta two decades ago during the National Energy Program when the most despised politician in this province was Pierre Trudeau, the prime minister father of Justin.
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The premier notes when Brian Mulroney became prime minister and deep-sixed the NEP, the support for separatism 'evaporated.'
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Smith wants Liberal anti-Alberta, anti-oil laws and rules changed.
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You know, among those bad laws is the tanker ban off the west coast, the No More Pipelines Law, the Liberal net-zero power regulations, the emissions cap on oil and gas, the laws making it illegal for companies to talk about their environmental record.
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Talks between the Carney government and the Alberta government have started to go over these bad laws.
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As you know, Smith also wants a bitumen pipeline to the west coast chosen as one of the nation-building projects the Carney government would fast-track under what is called Bill C-5.
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Freeland responds to Smith who has upped her pressure on the Carney government in recent days.
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The Carney government insider says Bill C-5 is 'a turning point for our country.'
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Now, Canada can 'build baby build,' to quote her boss Carney.
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'I'm not going to tell you today, Rick, that everything is totally solved.'
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Good thing. It isn't.
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National Observer
30 minutes ago
- National Observer
Mark Carney is reviving the oilsands discussion — and it's giving me whiplash
Mark Carney has certainly changed the dial on the oilsands discussion. Ottawa has all but abandoned the idea of a cap on oilsands emissions — and now it's willing to consider a West Coast pipeline if it carries so-called 'decarbonized oil' (a ridiculous phrase, given that the crude would contain just as much carbon as it always has). As a result, Danielle Smith is suddenly all in on carbon sequestration, calling it a 'grand bargain ' if she can secure a pipeline as part of the deal. There seems to be no point in repeating, yet again, that the oil industry does not need more new pipelines. The status of pipelines is not what's holding the oilsands back from returning to the golden era of 2000s mega-investment. Alberta's oilsands simply aren't the world's best place to put big money into oil — now or in the future. But if you cling to the pipeline myth, you get to indulge the fantasy that all it takes is another pipe to unlock untold riches. You can't use facts to fight a delusion, though I keep trying. I'm not too worried, though — so long as we can keep the government from getting involved in this pipeline project beyond just the approvals for it. That means: no subsidies, no government guarantees on shipping volumes, and a real 'open season' where companies make long-term binding commitments to use it. It's clear that if we stick to those limits on government involvement, few companies will sign up. The cost of building a new line is massive — just look at TMX. A revived Northern-Gateway-like project would be no different. Northern Gateway's original cost estimates were in the same ballpark as TMX's early projections — meaning this new line would end up just as expensive as TMX's final price tag, if not more. Meanwhile, Enbridge has lower-cost expansion options, and Enbridge connects to the Capline system — with 1.2 million barrels per day of capacity from the US Midwest to Louisiana and massive export capability. That system currently has about a million barrels per day of spare capacity. Connecting to Capline offers effectively unlimited capacity to export our crude through the Gulf Coast to anywhere in the world. It's a fantasy that another pipeline will unlock new riches in the oilsands. But as long as the federal government doesn't pay for it, the industry is welcome to keep pining. If shippers have to face the real cost of a new pipeline — not the highly subsidized tolls on TMX — they'll use those existing systems instead. Because it's cheaper. And it doesn't take someone with a PhD in economics from Oxford to understand that. Mark Carney can push through the approvals with his 'nation-building' Bill C-5, giving cabinet the power to sidestep required reviews. But it won't matter if the economics don't support the project. So, sure — whatever. At any rate, Smith has been as consistent as her predecessors in selling the fantasy of untold riches — if only we had another pipeline. On carbon sequestration, though, she's been anything but consistent. She's now fully on board, but as recently as last summer, she released a Deloitte report concluding that carbon sequestration for the oil sands was so uneconomic that companies would rather shut down production than invest in it. Deloitte reached that conclusion even assuming high subsidies from both the federal and Alberta governments. So, according to Smith, carbon sequestration is so uneconomic that companies would shut down rather than do it — but if they get a pipeline, suddenly it makes sense? I'm sorry, that makes no sense. Here's the fundamental problem: the savings oilsands companies expect in industrial carbon tax reductions from carbon capture don't justify the capital they'd need to spend to achieve those reductions. Their solution? You and I — the taxpayers — cover most of the capital costs, while they pocket the carbon tax savings. Worse, they want guarantees that the industrial carbon tax won't go down. If it does, they want the government — again, taxpayers — to top them up for the difference. Imagine that: we're being asked not only to pay to build the infrastructure but also to insure their revenue stream against policy changes they'll likely be lobbying for. And that's not the only risk. Oil companies know full well that as global decarbonization accelerates, demand — and prices — for crude could collapse. That would leave some of these facilities stranded. And who would eat that loss? The party that put up most of the money: taxpayers. As Oxford climatologist Myles Allen puts it, 'The case for CCS [carbon capture and storage] boils down to waste disposal.' And yet we're being asked to subsidize how companies dispose of their waste — and take on the financial risk. There is absolutely no reason taxpayers should be doing that. None. Isn't the obvious solution on the other side of the ledger — the industrial carbon tax? Raise it for the oilsands to the point where carbon capture becomes economically viable. Use industrial carbon tax revenues from companies still emitting to help reward those who are actually sequestering. It would be a stronger incentive than anything currently on offer, while avoiding public money going into facilities that may or may not have a long life. Instead, Ottawa and Alberta seem eager to keep throwing taxpayer money at the problem. A 'grand bargain,' indeed. No more TMX-scale boondoggles. No blank cheques for carbon sequestration. Raise the carbon tax until sequestration makes economic sense. Hold the industry accountable.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Alberta finance minister to give fiscal update
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Alberta finance minister to give fiscal update Alberta's finance minister is set to deliver the final bottom line number today on last year's provincial budget. Nate Horner's new figure will close the books on the budget for the fiscal year that ended in March. That budget was last forecast to come in with a nearly $6-billion surplus. Alberta's new budget year is now a few months old, but its expected bottom line number is deep in the red. This budget, introduced by Horner in February, predicts Alberta will register a $5.2-billion deficit at the end of March 2026. Here's what else we're watching… Smith says separatist desire high in Alberta Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the public desire in her province to quit Canada has never been higher. Speaking Thursday to reporters in Calgary, Smith said Albertans feel deeply frustrated and angry with Ottawa. She cited a separatist candidate who garnered almost 18 per cent of the vote in a byelection in the Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills riding earlier this week. Speaking alongside Smith was federal Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland. Asked what she thought of Smith's assessment, Freeland said she hopes Albertans will see recently passed legislation to speed up the approval process of major projects as a sign that Canada has reached a 'turning point.' Controversial major projects bill becomes law The Liberal government's controversial major projects bill became law Thursday — legislation Indigenous leaders have warned could lead to widespread protests and legal challenges if Ottawa doesn't respect their rights and title. Bill C-5 gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy by side-stepping environmental protections and other legislation. An initial draft of the bill gave Ottawa the ability to sidestep the Indian Act, but that law was removed from the bill before its passage. The politically charged legislation has angered Indigenous and environmental groups, who criticize the government for rushing to grant itself sweeping new powers to speed up development. Several Indigenous leaders called on MPs and senators to slow the bill's passage to give Indigenous communities more time to suggest amendments and review the legislation with their lawyers. Winnipeg's Portage and Main reopens to pedestrians A landmark intersection in Winnipeg is set to reopen today to pedestrians more than four decades after it closed. Mayor Scott Gillingham is expected to take part in a ceremonial first crossing at the Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection later today when it opens to pedestrians in the city's downtown. The landmark intersection has inspired a song, a stamp, and been a place where people have congregated by the thousands to celebrate milestones and protest injustices. Concrete barriers have prevented pedestrian crossings at the intersection for 46 years, forcing people to go through an underground concourse. The move has critics arguing the barriers should be kept in place to reduce accidents and traffic snarls, while advocates say forcing pedestrians to walk underground creates an accessibility issue. Beer companies expanding liquor-based offerings A waft of fruity scents surround you as you enter what's known as the flavour kitchen at the Molson Coors brewery in west Toronto. The 23-acre facility — the company's largest brewery in Canada — opened in 1955, and has for decades served as the base of its operations. It's there where popular beers such as Molson Canadian and Coors Lights are brewed, quality tested, and packaged before being shipped to stores and restaurants across the country. On a late-May morning tour through the factory, the familiar aroma of beer-filled cans and bottles engulfing much of its footprint ends at the flavour kitchen, where it is replaced by jumbled notes of strawberry, peach, lemon and other fruits — smells you wouldn't have found here more than just a few years ago. 'I call this 'Flavour Town,'' says brewery general manager Tan Le, before listing off some of the products that originate there, from Coors Seltzer and Vizzy Hard Seltzer to Simply Spiked Lemonade. As Anthony Purchase, vice-president of commercial operations for Canada, puts it: 'We've got almost every flavour under the sun.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
6 Americans detained for trying to send rice and Bibles to North Korea by sea, police say
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Six Americans were detained Friday in South Korea for trying to send 1,600 plastic bottles filled with rice, U.S. dollars bills and Bibles toward North Korea by sea, police said. The Americans tried to throw the bottles into the sea from front-line Gwanghwa Island so they could float toward North Korean shores by the tides, said a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to media on the issue. He said they are being investigated on allegations they violated the law on the management of safety and disasters. A second South Korean police officer confirmed the detentions of the Americans. The police officers gave no further details, including whether any of the six had made previous attempts to send bottles toward North Korea. Activists floating plastic bottles or flying balloons carrying anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets across the border has long caused tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea expressed its anger at the balloon campaigns by launching its own balloons carrying trash into South Korea, including at least two that landed in the presidential compound in Seoul last year. In 2023, South Korea's Constitutional Court struck down a 2020 law that criminalized the sending of leaflets and other items to North Korea, calling it an excessive restriction on free speech. But since taking office in early June, the new liberal government of President Lee Jae Myung is pushing to crack down on such civilian campaigns with other safety-related laws to avoid a flare-up tensions with North Korea and promote the safety of frontline South Korean residents. On June 14, police detained an activist for allegedly flying balloons toward North Korea from Gwanghwa Island. Lee took office with a promise to restart long-dormant talks with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee's government halted frontline anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts to try to ease military tensions. North Korean broadcasts have not been heard in South Korean front-line towns since then. But it's unclear if North Korea will respond to Lee's conciliatory gesture after it vowed last year to sever relations with South Korea and abandon the goal of peaceful Korean reunification. Official talks between the Koreas have been stalled since 2019 when the U.S.-led diplomacy on North Korean denuclearization derailed.
