Latest news with #CBCCalgary
National Observer
4 days ago
- Business
- National Observer
Alberta's grievances aren't actually reasonable
It's time I gave Danielle Smith some credit: she certainly knows how to create a distraction. Her recent efforts to empower and enable Alberta's separatist movement have consumed so much of the political and media oxygen in the province that it's hard to talk about her government's various scandals and self-inflicted wounds, from the ongoing collapse of the healthcare system to the deliberate kneecapping of the province's renewable energy sector. The bad news here, at least for the separatists she's given so much hope lately, is that the idea of an independent Alberta remains as unpopular as ever. A recent Janet Brown poll of Albertans conducted for CBC Calgary shows support for separatism remains stuck around 30 per cent, with the biggest recent change actually being a surge in self-reported attachment to Canada. The idea that Alberta is being deliberately screwed over by Ottawa, on the other hand, finds far more favour. In a May 13 press conference — one where he refused to publicly condemn Alberta's separatists — Pierre Poilievre told reporters that Albertans have 'a lot of legitimate grievances,' ones that revolve almost entirely around the treatment of the oil and gas industry. 'Let's be blunt,' he said. 'Canada's biggest industry … largely situated in Alberta, has been under attack for the last decade.' It's worth noting that said 'attack' includes the construction of the first two pipelines to Pacific tidewater in 70 years, one of which was paid for by Canadian taxpayers. Said 'attack' has also resulted in massive production growth and record profits for Canada's oil and gas industry. Most industries would probably kill to be 'attacked' like this. Even so, this willful misrepresentation of the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta has become a shared reflex among Canada's Conservative political and pundit class. In a recent Financial Post column, Diane Francis — who once argued for an American 'merger' with Canada — hit all the familiar talking points. 'None of these complaints are new,' she wrote, 'but now they are potentially nation-busting. Albertans are not a bunch of whiny separatists, but have legitimate grievances that deserve respect and remedy.' Do they, though? Francis highlights Ottawa's 'unfair equalization system,' a system that nine years of a Stephen Harper-led Conservative government declined to change. It's true that Albertans pay more in federal taxes on a per-capita basis than other provinces, a reality owing entirely to the fact that they make more money than people in other provinces. They pay the same tax rates as other Canadians, and would continue to even if the entire equalization program was eliminated tomorrow. Francis also highlights the 'unfair seat distributions in the House of Commons,' which she says 'favours Liberal-voting provinces at the expense of the West.' Alas, this isn't actually true. After the most recent electoral redistribution process, one that saw three seats added in Alberta, the most under-represented province in parliament in terms of the ratio of seats to population is actually Ontario. Two of the more over-represented provinces, meanwhile, are Saskatchewan — not exactly a Liberal stronghold — and Manitoba. Whether it's Jason Kenney or Naheed Nenshi, federalist politicians in Alberta seem more than happy to accept Danielle Smith's framing of the province's relationship with Ottawa. That's a mistake — one that could prove fatal to Canada's future. But these are mere appetizers to the main course on Alberta's menu of grievances: the treatment of the oil and gas industry. To hear Francis and others tell it, the current Liberal government has single-handedly stood between the province and its rightful status as a global oil and gas superpower. The facts, as much as they even matter to grievance-hungry Albertans, don't support their feelings. As I've written before, previous federal governments — and, specifically, Liberal federal governments — have played a key role in helping Alberta's oil and gas industry. The feds directly funded some of the earliest oilsands ventures, and stepped in to backstop them when private sector partners pulled out. It changed the tax treatment of oilsands projects to make them more economically viable, which helped precipitate the massive boom in the early 2000s that many Albertans remember fondly. And yes, it got the Trans Mountain pipeline built in the face of opposition from provincial and local governments in British Columbia. Even the dreaded National Energy Program would have been a boon to the oil sands if it hadn't been killed by Brian Mulroney's government. Yes, it would have built the very east-west pipelines that so many Conservatives have spent years pining for lately. But it also would have paid a premium for oilsands crude that would have generated hundreds of billions in extra revenue for the industry according to University of Alberta economist Andrew Leach. Most of the angst in Alberta today revolves around Ottawa's ongoing attempts to reduce carbon pollution, involving varying proportions of carrots and sticks. Both the oil and gas industry and the Alberta government have committed to the same carbon neutrality targets, which makes their reflexive opposition to any policies aimed at achieving that goal deeply telling. But even here, and maybe especially here, the dreaded federal government isn't trying to 'kill' the industry. If anything, it's trying to save it from itself. That's because it's easy to imagine a post-Trump future in which demand for oil has begun to decline and the carbon intensity of fossil fuel exports is penalized [or, taken into account] by importers (like, say, the ones in Europe). If Canada's oil producers don't start preparing for the net-zero world they claim they're committed to building, they're either going to be left behind or forced to eat an ever-larger discount on their barrels. And while Alberta's government has only offered a 12 per cent tax credit on carbon capture and storage projects, Ottawa is offering 50 to 60 per cent right now. Which one is the problem again? Rather than retreating from these facts, the defenders of Canadian unity need to help Albertans better understand them. The more they cater to this jaundiced view of confederation, one in which Alberta is a perpetual victim, the more they undermine its durability. Danielle Smith and her fellow separatist enablers are telling Albertans one version of the story. It's time for the rest of us to tell them the truth before support for separation actually starts to grow.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WTI's brief dip to $55 US a barrel has analysts urging wait-and-see approach
The West Texas Intermediate oil price dipped to $55.12 US per barrel early Wednesday, leaving analysts to speculate on what's around the corner at a time of mass economic instability. And while it rebounded to close at $62.71 US, one business group is wondering how the recent downward trend could impact Alberta provincial revenues. "It's a good reminder of still how dependent the Alberta budget is on crude oil prices, on the whims of the global economy and just the vulnerability there," Alicia Planincic told CBC News in an interview. She's the director of policy and economics at the advocacy group Business Council of Alberta. Resource royalties account for roughly 20 per cent of the province's budget, Planincic said. "The budget assumed the benchmark price for crude oil, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), would be around $68 US a barrel. Just to put that magnitude in perspective, every $1 difference means $750 million dollars less to government revenue," she said. "If we think about a difference between $57 US a barrel and the $68 US that was assumed, we are looking at about an $8 billion hit to the provincial budget." There are many variables at play, Planincic said. "There is still a lot of uncertainty as this trade war really heats up with China, of how much is the U.S. going to be able to withstand? Is it going to back off on tariffs? Ultimately, all this harm is self-inflicted at the moment, it can be walked back. We have already seen that with a number of decisions," she said. "We should never just take one day or a couple of weeks of WTI prices and panic too much." CBC Calgary's business economist said the market is trying to find itself under some new realities. "The market is trying to figure out where demand is going to be, and it's paying undivided attention to any news on tariffs. It's not just limited to oil. Certainly equities are feeling it, too. All commodities," Al Salazar told the Calgary Eyeopener in a Wednesday interview. "The world is trying to figure out how to value things in the new trade order, should things stay the way they are in terms of tariffs." The province said it's watching intently. "We are closely watching the situation," senior press secretary Justin Brattinga said in an emailed statement. "The fiscal year began nine days ago, and our budget forecasts are for the entire year. If any revisions to our forecasts or projections are needed, they will be done at the quarterly updates." WATCH | Impact of declining oil prices on the energy sector amid U.S. tariffs: Meanwhile, Planincic said many are taking a conservative approach to big commitments. "There is a lot of hesitation when it comes to big capital investment decisions, or hiring plans. It makes sense to have a wait-and-see approach," she said. "There is some hesitation. The problem is, that hesitation is going to have a very real effect, even if we don't see tariffs or a global recession. That's another concern. The name of the game is wait and see." Salazar notes that while one metric has narrowed, it may not have the implications some are hoping for. "A differential is basically Western Canadian Select (WCS) prices, the prices here in Alberta, relative to the prices of WTI in the Gulf Coast. It is the spread between the two," he explained. "Notionally, the only thing that should separate the two is the quality of the barrel and the transportation. Historically, when differentials blow out, it is because there is too much oil out of Alberta trying to get out. There is not enough space on pipes so they have to use rail. That's how things blow out." 'Buckle up' Oil producers need to brace themselves, Salazar said. "OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) announced they were unwinding their production at a bit of a faster rate. It just feels like they are piling on," he said. "The combination of tariffs and OPEC-unwind is not constructive of prices, so as an Alberta producer, you have got to buckle up. This is probably more of the norm."
CBC
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Jobs. Taxes. Access to women's health care. South Calgary residents share what matters this election
Social Sharing The top issue for voters in Seton isn't tariffs, at least not among the library patrons who stopped by to talk with CBC Calgary's The Homestretch recently. Tariffs have dominated headlines this campaign. But jobs, taxes and the price of groceries dominated the sticky notes on the CBC's whiteboard at a pop-up engagement effort Thursday afternoon. What issue matters the most to you this federal election, and why? Share your personal stories with us at ask@ Homestretch host Jenny Howe broadcast live from the library in Seton all afternoon, and people stopped by to write about the issue that matters the most to them in the federal election, and how it will shape their vote. Adrian Diaz is a student at the University of Calgary. After writing a few notes, he explained it this way. "The cost of living has gone up. The gas prices have just skyrocketed up. Honestly, I remember when it used to be 70 cents, it was crazy.… Now it's like $1.50. Utilities, groceries, all the simple stuff has gone up, for sure," he said. "I have an idea of who I want to support, definitely. Because 10 years of the same thing, I think it's time to change." The Seton library is in the YCMA recreation centre, which is south of the ring road and east of Deerfoot Trail on the southeast edge of Calgary. It's in the Calgary Shepard riding. In the library, some people had already decided who they are voting for, others were still making up their minds and waiting for the leaders' debate. Many people wrote about wanting lower taxes and to find a way to reduce the price of houses. One person wrote about wanting tax dollars to go to fighting homelessness and hunger here in Canada before funds are allocated to helping overseas. But that's not what Lamar Hassan is hoping for. She is 15 and watching the election from the sidelines. She said what she wants is to see the parties focus more on foreign policy and how they can help other places such as Ukraine and Gaza. "We're able to aid so we should be aiding more," she said. "I feel for people. Everyone deserves to have a good life, and as someone whose parents came here from a different country, they came here for me to have a better life and everyone deserve to have that chance." Moana Rae Michelbrink Rhynold is now 18 and will be voting for the first time. She said the issues she's following the most are the cost of housing and access to reproductive health. "I've been busy in my own world but I've heard snippets. The biggest thing is how the Conservative campaign has leaned a lot toward what's been happening in the States in terms of women's access to health care. That's the biggest thing that's scaring me." On Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre touched on this on the campaign trail. He was asked about a local candidate's views and said that, if elected, a Conservative government would not restrict access to abortion. Since CBC News was asking "what matters to you," children also stopped by to have their say. Many of them will vote at school in a parallel student election, even though it won't count for the general election. Jasmine Jones, 8, wrote "focus on the environment" and stuck that to the whiteboard to share with her neighbours.
CBC
12-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
How social media news ban is keeping voters in the dark
A media monitoring organization says the 'news blackout' on Facebook and Instagram is blocking crucial updates for voters. CBC Calgary's Rob Brown reveals new research into how this shift might affect your feed during the election.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How social media news ban is keeping voters in the dark
A media monitoring organization says the 'news blackout' on Facebook and Instagram is blocking crucial updates for voters. CBC Calgary's Rob Brown reveals new research into how this shift might affect your feed during the election.
