Varcoe: Ottawa's new resources minister promises clean slate, but oilpatch looks for 'concrete actions' on new projects
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Ultimately, it will be concrete action — not just words — that will determine how the relationship between Tim Hodgson and the Canadian oil and gas sector unfolds in the coming months.
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In his first major speech since taking over the portfolio, Hodgson sent a clear signal Friday to a Calgary business audience that he wants to reset the often-testy interaction between Ottawa and the country's largest export industry.
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More significantly, he plainly backed the idea that Canadian oil and gas can grow the economy and be a tool for global stability, supplying other countries with energy.
'I want to be very clear. In the new economy we are building — Canada will no longer be defined by delay. We will be defined by delivery,' Hodgson told the Calgary Chamber of Commerce audience — twice, in case anyone missed it the first time.
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'Energy is Canada's superpower. It gives us an opportunity to build the strongest economy in the G7.'
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It was a stark contrast to the general indifference, or active hostility, that seeped out of the pores of the Trudeau government, which had little desire to see Canada significantly boost oil and gas output or build export infrastructure.
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'He really extended an olive branch to the energy sector,' said Sonya Savage, a former Alberta energy and environment minister in the UCP government.
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The previous Trudeau government did get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project finished, with federal government money required to buy and build it. But other pipeline projects, such as Northern Gateway, Energy East and Keystone XL, floundered.
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Contentious Liberal government policies such as the Impact Assessment Act and the incoming oilpatch emissions cap also fractured the relationship and broke any trust.
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Toronto Sun
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Former prime minister Brian Mulroney speaks after receiving the Commander of the National Order of Legion of Honour at the French Embassy in Ottawa on Dec. 6, 2016. Photo by LARS HAGBERG / AFP via Getty Images The decision by a Parks Canada board to change rules so that former prime minister Brian Mulroney won't be recognized as a 'national historic person' for 25 years is so petty, it borders on spiteful. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account As first reported by Blacklock's Reporter, an online publication that reports on the inner machinations of the federal government, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board decided shortly after Mulroney's death last year that it would delay honouring him for a quarter of a century. Mulroney's son, Ben, points out in his podcast that his father created eight new national parks and is widely acknowledged as one of this country's 'greenest' prime ministers, partly because he negotiated an Acid Rain agreement with the United States. Ben called it a 'boneheaded' decision and said that 24 hours after the funeral of Pierre Trudeau, there was a move to rename Canada's highest peak from Mt. Logan to Mt. Trudeau. Only when it was pointed out that Sir William Edmond Logan was a prominent Canadian geologist who founded the Canadian Geological Survey, did they back off. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ben called the board's move a 'dumbfoundingly stupid decision,' which means his mother likely will not live to see his father honoured. After the furor arose, Parks Canada issued a statement suggesting there were no changes to the rules. That appears to contradict the minutes of a 2024 board meeting, obtained by Blacklock's. 'Current board policy does not indicate the period of delay between the death of a Prime Minister and the articulation of his or her contribution in a Statement of Commemorative Intent. Board members held a lively debate on the number of years that were appropriate to allow for a balanced perspective on a prime minister's contributions to Canadian history,' the minutes say. The board settled on 25 years. It's hard to overstate the historical importance of Mulroney's career. Aside from his environmental credentials, his fight to impose sanctions on South Africa was instrumental in freeing Nelson Mandela from prison. And it was his government that negotiated the first North American free trade deal. It's not Mulroney's legacy that's hurt by this delaying tactic. It's Canada's. When he was prime minister, this country was acknowledged around the globe for its class and generosity of spirit. That's been swept away by a foolish bureaucratic decision. Ontario Columnists Toronto & GTA Celebrity NFL
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