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FIRST READING: What Carney's inner circle really thinks about oil and gas
First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post's own Tristin Hopper. To get an early version sent directly to your inbox, sign up here. After 10 years of the extremely anti-fossil fuel Trudeau government, the Canadian energy sector is suddenly optimistic that their future need not be one of managed decline. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney keeps referring to Canada as an 'energy superpower' and is even raising the once-taboo subject of building new pipelines. As former Conservative resources minister Joe Oliver put it in a recent column for the Financial Post, the Liberals have been 'mugged by reality.' But Carney's inner circle contains more than a few figures who have been quite vocal about their distaste for oil and gas development, sometimes as little as a few months ago. Below, a quick summary of what Carney's team was saying before all the 'energy superpower' talk got started. Marc-Andre Blanchard Incoming chief of staff When Blanchard's appointment was announced this week, critics quickly seized on a 2023 interview in which he endorsed the end of any new Canadian fossil fuel development. Conservative MP Larry Brock, for one, told the House of Commons that the 'new chief of staff is hell-bent on shutting down oil and gas.' The interview was published by Net Zero Investor, and details Blanchard's efforts to decarbonize the portfolio of the Quebec pension fund CDPQ, where he was head of global sustainability. 'CDPQ's conviction is: It is essential not to contribute to increased oil and coal production and to focus on renewable and transition energies,' Blanchard said at the time, framing the move as one that was ultimately profitable for the fund. 'Over five years in equity markets, we made almost $1 billion more than if we had an oil exposure,' he said. The article also noted that CDPQ had held onto its natural gas holdings, with the reasoning that 'although the supply of renewable energy is growing, it is unable to meet all the current demand for energy.' Mark Carney Prime minister It was only a few months that Carney was still chair of Brookfield Asset Management, a firm with massive oil and gas holdings (in addition to its much-touted green energy portfolio). In 2021, for instance, a Brookfield subsidiary finalized the acquisition of Inter Pipeline Ltd., Canada's fourth largest pipeline company. But, as is well-known, Carney was also one of the world's most visible proponents of the concept of 'net zero,' a view he espoused as the United Nation's Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. Carney's 2021 book Values gets into detail of his vision for the Canadian energy sector. He wrote that 'there will continue to be a place' for Canadian fossil fuels, but within a framework where 'the carbon footprint of our energy sources' goes down. Four years later, this somewhat contradictory view is much the same. In the space of just 30 seconds this week, Carney told a press conference that his government saw an 'oil pipeline … to tidewater' as an 'opportunity' — before adding that 'decarbonized barrels' of oil should be the priority. Tim Hodgson Minister of natural resources If Blanchard is being accused of being a 'keep it in the ground' zealot, Hodgson is the Carney government's leading counterweight. A May 23 speech Hodgson delivered to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce spoke of 'cutting red tape,' and contained no mention of the terms 'net zero' or 'decarbonization.' And the only time he mentioned 'climate change' was in a section where he suggested Canadian energy should be employed to 'displace' dirtier fuels overseas. 'By working with the energy sector to make investments that fight climate change, we can get more barrels to market while cutting carbon emissions,' he said. Still, Hodgson's first statements to the House of Commons show him hedging his bets on the central issue of new export pipelines. 'We will support new pipelines if there is a national consensus in favour of them,' he said on May 29. Julie Dabrusin Minister of environment and climate change Carney's new environment minister, Dabrusin, has been the MP for Toronto—Danforth since 2015, and replaces Steven Guilbeault, whose tenure was marked by open hostility to the energy sector. As Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said upon Guilbeault leaving the post, he had put 'an activist agenda ahead of the well being and economic health of Albertans and Canadians.' Nevertheless, Dabrusin is on record espousing many of Guilbeault's most controversial positions. This includes the 2024 boast that 'no other country' was placing an emissions cap on its petroleum sector — a statement that was quickly taken up by the Opposition as evidence that Canada was kneecapping its own energy production even as it continued unabated everywhere else. 'No other country has capped emissions from oil and gas production,' Dabrusin told the House of Commons in April, 2024. She's called carbon pricing the 'largest single tool we have to reduce emissions,' and in 2022 she said the future of the Canadian oil sector would be to lubricate windmills. 'Even in a net-zero world, we will always need oil for some things, and not just bike chain grease. We also need it to make lubricant for windmills. If members want to keep seeing latex gloves in our hospitals, we will always need oil,' she said. If parliamentary procedure is your thing, Monday was witness to an absolutely elite-tier operation by the Conservatives. After the Carney government swore repeatedly that they were too busy to prepare a budget until at least the fall, the House of Commons slipped through an amendment for them to do it anyway. On a routine House of Commons vote to accept the speech from the throne, the Conservatives threw in an amendment calling on the government 'to present to Parliament an economic update or budget this spring, before the House adjourns for the summer.' The NDP and the Bloc Québécois all voted yes on the amendment, causing it to pass 166 to the Liberals' 164 votes. The Liberals don't have to table a spring budget, but if they don't they'll technically be violating the terms of their own throne speech all of these insights and more into your inbox by signing up for the First Reading newsletter. Carney denounces 'unlawful and unjustified' doubling of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum Liberals downplay narrowly lost vote demanding spring budget
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3 days ago
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FIRST READING: How some Canadian cities are becoming more lawless than the U.S.
First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post's own Tristin Hopper. To get an early version sent directly to your inbox, sign up here. Despite Canada's reputation as a safer version of the U.S., newly compiled data is showing that crime has worsened to the point where, on some metrics, Canadian cities are becoming more lawless than the U.S. Americans are still getting shot and murdered at higher rates than Canadians, but when it comes to theft, carjackings and break-ins, figures show that some Canadian cities are doing worse than their American counterparts. In fact, two Canadian jurisdictions — Kelowna, B.C., and Lethbridge, Alta. — now rank worse than any other urban area south of the border. In 2022, Lethbridge recorded 5,521 property crimes per 100,000 people, an average of one crime each year for every 18 residents. The worst-ranked U.S. city for property crime, Pueblo, Colo., saw property crimes hit 4,911 per 100,000. This is all according to an 85-page 'snapshot' of U.S. and Canadian crime rates compiled by the Fraser Institute. Researcher Livio Di Matteo took city-specific crime data from Statistics Canada and the FBI and compared it across the 18 years from 2004 to 2022. When Di Matteo compared rates of 'average annual property crimes' across metropolitan areas, he found that Canada was now in the lead after years of trailing the U.S. An introduction framed the figures as a check on the notion that Canada is 'a peaceable kingdom marked by less crime.' An infographic accompanying the report highlights that of the 86 U.S. and Canadian cities surrounding the Great Lakes, it's Canada's that have the worst rates of property crime. Thunder Bay and London, Ont. were the two worst-ranked cities of the 86. And the property crime stats for Windsor, Ont., were higher than for Detroit, located just across the river. In a news release, the Fraser Institute wrote that the average Torontonian is now more likely to be a victim of property crime than the average New Yorker. The report warns that comparing U.S. and Canadian crime rates is an imperfect science, in part because of the two countries' differing views of what constitutes a crime. As one example, Canadian law adopts a broad definition of sexual assault that creates a single category for 'any unwanted sexual act.' In the U.S., meanwhile, sex crimes are still stratified into specific categories such as rape. The two countries also can't be compared in terms of 'crime severity.' Since 2009, Canada's leading crime metric has been the Crime Severity Index, a tool that not only measures the quantity of crimes committed in a given year, but also tries to weight them in terms of relative damage or societal impact. The U.S., though, has no such metric. As such, the Fraser Institute report had to work with raw figures of police-reported crime, differentiated only by whether a crime was violent or non-violent. The 'comparability' of the two countries' crime figures could be skewed by something as simple as police being more diligent in counting petty crime as compared to more serious offences. But Di Matteo wrote that it was still an acceptable way 'to indicate overall crime patterns.' And for most of the 2004-2022 period, the average Canadian city did indeed post lower rates of property crime than the average American city. These averages then became tied in 2020 and 2021, with Canada pulling ahead in 2022. The year 2022 happens to be when Canada was seized by a number of unprecedented crime waves, including a wave of arsons against churches, and a massive spike in car thefts that would eventually cause Canada to be dubbed by the BBC as an 'auto theft capital of the world.' But while the average Canadian city-dweller might be more likely to get their car broken into, they still trail the United States in terms of being hurt or killed by crime. On the measure of 'violent crimes per 100,000 population,' the Fraser Institute report found that while Canada has seen violent crime increase in recent years, the U.S. remains well in the lead. This remains most dramatic in terms of homicide rate. Canada has a relatively consistent murder rate of two homicides for every 100,000 people. In recent years, the U.S. homicide rate has come close to nearly tripling that amount. The Fraser Institute report was published on March 18, and was largely overlooked amid Mark Carney's swearing-in as prime minister and the start of the 45th general election on March 23. Last week, it was highlighted in a widely circulated social media post by Dubai-based influencer Mario Nawfal. 'Canada's biggest cities are now clocking higher property crime rates than the American metros most people think of first when they hear the word 'crime,'' wrote Nawfal. The NDP's interim leader Don Davies has announced that his party will vote 'no' on accepting the terms of the Carney government's throne speech (Davies said it wasn't 'worker-centred' enough). Since the Liberals are governing as a minority, this means that either the Conservatives or the Bloc Québécois will have to vote 'yes' on the speech, lest the government fall on a confidence vote and Canada be plunged into another federal election. The opposition could always weasel out of a decision by simply abstaining on the vote, given that polls are showing that any election would probably just deliver the same result as last time. But the whole exercise has illustrated that Prime Minister Mark Carney's grip on power may not be as strong as he's indicated. It was only two weeks ago that he was speaking of having a 'mandate of change.' And in the unlikely instance that the 45th parliament ends up dissolving almost immediately due to a procedural vote on the speech from the throne, this will technically mean that we dragged King Charles III here for all of these insights and more into your inbox by signing up for the First Reading newsletter. Carney hints retaliation is coming after Trump's latest steel and aluminum tariffs After former Leafs and Blue Jays players, CRA now goes after ex-Raptors star Norman Powell
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
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- Vancouver Sun
Justice minister apologizes for comments that 'potentially eroded' trust with Indigenous peoples
OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser apologized Wednesday for recent comments about the federal government's duty to consult First Nations regarding developing projects on their territories, saying his words 'potentially eroded a very precarious trust.' The issue has emerged in light of Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to introduce legislation that would fast-track approvals for major energy and infrastructure projects by cutting the timeline to two years, down from five. The Assembly of First Nations, a national advocacy organization representing more than 600 First Nations across the country, has expressed concerns that, from what they have seen of the forthcoming bill, it 'suggests a serious threat' to First Nations treaty rights. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In a recent letter to Carney, National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak cited the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which outlines the principle of obtaining 'free, prior, and informed consent' regarding laws and decisions that affect Indigenous peoples. When asked about that principle on Tuesday, Fraser outlined his interpretation of it, telling reporters that it demands 'a very deep level of engagement and understanding of the rights that may be impacted.' However, he said, 'it stops short of a complete veto' when it comes to government decisions On Wednesday, Fraser apologized for those comments, saying it gave some the impression of the government wanting to ' work unilaterally, not in partnership,' with Indigenous people. 'Despite innocent intentions, I think my comments actually caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous people in this country,' he said on his way into the Liberal caucus meeting. The minister said that after he made those remarks he received a call from the national chief, 'expressing her frustration.' Fraser said he apologized to Woodhouse Nepinak and committed to do so publicly. 'This is completely on my own initiative,' Fraser told reporters. 'I've not been asked to do this by anyone. (Woodhouse Nepinak) said that she would appreciate if I would offer some clarity. But this is not coming from anyone within government. This is something I feel compelled to do.' A request for comment from the Assembly of First Nations has yet to be returned. More to come … Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
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5 days ago
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FIRST READING: High immigration is worsening Canada's economic problems, says report
First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post's own Tristin Hopper. To get an early version sent directly to your inbox, sign up here. By overseeing one of the most dramatic immigration surges of modern times, Canada has cratered housing affordability, kneecapped productivity and concealed the true state of its economic growth, according to a new profile by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD is a club of 38 countries that effectively comprise the developed world. Every two years, each member state receives a comprehensive 'economic survey' prepared by OECD economists. Canada's most recent survey — published just last week — focuses in particular on the issues of housing affordability and worker productivity, two areas in which Canada now ranks among the worst in the developed world. And in both instances, the OECD fingers record-high immigration as having made the problems worse. 'Rapid population growth has exacerbated previous housing affordability challenges,' reads the report, adding the blunt recommendation that 'housing supply should keep pace with immigration targets.' Similarly, the OECD warns that Canada has been packing millions of new workers into its labour force without any comparable increase in 'productivity-enhancing investment.' With the economy thus remaining relatively stagnant, Canada's workers are receiving an increasingly small share of the overall economic pie. On top of this, the report notes that while Canada used to prioritize high-skilled immigrants such as doctors and engineers, its migration flows are now mostly comprised of low-skilled workers. 'The skill composition of recent immigration, which included many students and temporary workers, has also likely reduced average labour productivity,' it reads. The OECD's own stats have long shown that Canada is an outlier in the realm of housing affordability. The OECD's most recent tally of the 'price to income' ratio of Canadian housing shows that it is the highest of all their member states save for Portugal. Over the last 10 years, Canada has also been one of the worst performers in OECD rankings of GDP growth per capita. From 2014 to 2022, Canada's rate of per-capita GDP growth was worse than any other OECD country save Luxembourg and Mexico. Across those nine years, the average Canadian saw their share of overall GDP rise by just 0.6 per cent per year. Canada's 'GDP per capita growth has lagged in recent years, particularly compared to its close neighbour, the United States,' wrote the OECD. In the U.S., GDP growth per capita from 2014 to 2022 was nearly three times higher than Canada, at 1.7 per cent. The report isn't entirely downcast on Canada's economic future. In a summary, the authors declare that Canada's economy is 'resilient' and endowed with 'robust public finances.' But the document is one of the first outside sources to detail the unprecedented surge of Canadian migration overseen by Ottawa in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Canada's population grew rapidly, by 3.0 per cent in 2023 and 2.6 per cent in 2024. This is much faster than in other OECD countries such as the United States or countries in Europe,' it reads. About six times faster, in fact. In 2023, the average OECD country grew by just 0.5 per cent. This worked out to about one million newcomers entering Canada each year. At the beginning of 2022, the Canadian population stood at about 38.5 million. Now, it's at 41.6 million, an increase of more than three million. It's a surge in voluntary population growth like few in history. Although other OECD members have experienced comparable population surges, at least in the short term, they're usually the result of war or other displacements. The report also confirms a phenomenon that Canadian analysts have been warning about since 2023: That Canada has been in a 'per capita' recession for several years, with overall GDP only seeming to grow because of rapid population growth. The injection of three million people has seemed to increase GDP, simply because all the newcomers are paying rent, buying groceries and increasing the amount of money circulating in the economy. But on an individual basis, the average Canadians' wealth and purchasing power has only been dropping. The OECD report highlights this disparity with two duelling charts. On a measure of 'real GDP,' Canada is able to keep up with the OECD average perfectly. But when ranked by 'real GDP per capita,' Canada's economic performance suddenly falls dramatically behind. 'GDP growth has been supported by high population growth,' according to a subtitle. Prime Minister Mark Carney has recently highlighted the issue of diminishing Canadian productivity, saying in a speech last week that it was making 'life unaffordable for Canadians.' Carney's proposed remedy is to reduce internal trade barriers and embark on a series of 'nation-building' projects. The OECD noted that Canada has backed off the peak highs of its immigration intake, writing that the Liberal government 'has adjusted and recalibrated its immigration targets … and population growth has since begun to slow.' Nevertheless, even under these new figures, Canadian immigration is set to be far higher than its pre-COVID levels. Canada's 2025 immigration targets are still set to bring in more than one million newcomers this year, mostly in the realm of non-permanent residents. Under the federal government's latest Immigration Levels Plan, this year will see 395,000 new permanent residents, 305,900 new international students and 367,750 new temporary workers. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday. These things are often pretty tense, and Smith left with the impression that while the Liberal government is talking a big game about fast-tracking 'nation-building projects,' she's seen no evidence that this includes oil pipelines. In a statement after the meeting, Smith highlighted four Trudeau-era barriers to oil development that are set to remain in place under Carney: Restrictions on Pacific Coast tanker traffic, an emissions cap on the oil sector, 'net zero' mandates on electricity production and the Impact Assessment Act, which adds years of additional screening to new resource projects. 'Without movement on these issues, there will be no significant investment in oil and gas,' she wrote. Carney's reaction was that the meeting was 'constructive.'Get all of these insights and more into your inbox by signing up for the First Reading newsletter.
Vancouver Sun
7 days ago
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- Vancouver Sun
Prime Minister Mark Carney names former United Nations ambassador as chief of staff
TORONTO — Prime Minister Mark Carney has named Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations as his chief of staff. Carney announced on Sunday that Marc-André Blanchard would begin his post in July, taking over from Marco Mendicino, the former Liberal cabinet minister who had been doing the job on an interim basis. 'Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada's most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats serving as Canada's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations,' Carney wrote on X. Blanchard currently serves as an executive at CDPQ Global, a Quebec-based investment firm responsible for managing pension funds and insurance plans. In his post on X, Carney confirmed that Mendicino would remain his interim chief of staff into 'early summer.' I am pleased to announce that Marc-André Blanchard will serve as my Chief of Staff beginning in July. Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada's most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats including serving as… He said Mendicino would be in the job as the Liberal government prepared to introduce its first legislation of the new session of Parliament and host G7 leaders when they meet in Alberta later this month, including U.S. President Donald Trump. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Carney has named growing Canada's economy in the face of the president's trade war by knocking down interprovincial trade barriers and fast-tracking approvals for new energy and infrastructure projects as his top priorities. Carney announced Blanchard as his chief of staff as he was set to meet with energy leaders in Calgary on Sunday and then travel to Saskatoon, where he will spend Monday meeting with the premiers for a First Ministers' Meeting. More to come .. staylor@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
