Latest news with #Hodgson
Canada Standard
29-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Most Canadians Don't See Pipelines as 'Be All-End All', Carney Declares
Canada's energy future need not begin and end with pipelines, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a major media interview Tuesday, just hours after King Charles III read a Speech from the Throne that envisioned the country as the "world's leading energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy." In conversation with CBC's Power & Politics host David Cochrane, the PM "reiterated he believes the industry should not revolve solely around the conventional oil and gas pipelines that have long fuelled political debate out West," CBC reports. "Carney said his new government will be focused on diversifying the energy sector beyond its roots in Alberta's oilpatch to include other, clean energy resources from across the country," the national broadcaster writes. "He did not rule out pipelines as part of the discussion, but said he doesn't believe most Canadians see those projects as the be all-end all option." "It's remarkable. In some circles, this conversation starts and ends with pipelines," Carney told Cochrane. "But that's what it has become politically," Cochrane replied. View our latest digests "No, that is not what it's become politically," Carney retorted. "That is not what it's become for Canada. Canada as a nation." "Canadians, yes, they want energy pipelines that make sense," the PM added. "They also want connections between our clean grids. They want actually less carbon, so they want carbon capture and storage... they want broader [mineral exporting] corridors, for example... that open up whole swaths of the country to new trade so that we are sovereign in the most important components of the future." Last Friday, in what CBC described as a "boisterous speech" to a sold-out business audience in Calgary, newly-appointed Energy Minister Tim Hodgson stoked fears that climate impacts, environmental assessment, and Indigenous consent might be shunted aside in the major "nation-building" projects the government has pledged to pursue. "Energy is power," Hodgson told participants. "Energy is Canada's power. It gives us an opportunity to build the strongest economy in the G7, guide the world in the right direction, and be strong when we show up at a negotiation table." Hodgson pledged a two-year approval window for major projects, rather than five, declaring that "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." But while Calgary Herald columnist Chris Varcoe followed up Hodgson's remarks with a list of oil and gas projects that should be on Ottawa's priority list, two lawyers at Torys LLP see a different set of priorities taking shape. "With Prime Minister Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre offering contrasting climate strategies, the election outcome sets the course for how Canada navigates its climate transition," write Torys associate Caroline Marful and partner Tyson Dyck, in a post originally published by the Institute of Corporate Directors. "Carney's win signals continuity, but also renewal-and a sharpened focus on investment-driven climate action." Marful and Dyck foresee the new government operating through executive and regulatory power if a minority parliament makes it more difficult to pass legislation, and list three "policy anchors and priorities" that Team Carney will likely pursue-stronger carbon markets through an enhanced industrial carbon pricing regime, advancing carbon dioxide removal technologies, and introducing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAMs) as a tariff on carbon-intensive imports. "Carney's platform promised the development of CBAMs as a protective measure for Canada's energy-intensive and trade-exposed sectors," they write. "However, CBAMs are diplomatically delicate. Without coordination among major trading partners, they risk sparking protectionist backlash." Climate analysts also caution that CBAMs risk perpetuating historical inequities to Global South nations by shutting them out of trade deals among wealthier countries. While a Canadian carbon border adjustment isn't likely to materialize in the near term, the Torys lawyers say, "the inclusion of CBAMs in the [Liberals' election] platform signals a maturing climate-trade agenda." The post cites clean investment tax credits (ITCs) and the former Trudeau government's long-delayed cap on oil and gas sector emissions as "two additional flashpoints" to watch. In a blog post Wednesday, the Canadian Climate Institute identified industrial carbon pricing and the clean electricity ITCs as two of four quick wins the government should pursue in its first 100 days, along with methane regulations and a made-in-Canada climate taxonomy for the financial sector. Source: The Energy Mix
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Energy Minister Commits to ‘Clean Slate' in Ottawa-Alberta Relations
Newly minted Liberal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says he supports Alberta's energy sector, adding that he aims to reset strained ties with Ottawa and fast-track infrastructure projects to help make Canada 'a conventional and clean energy superpower.' Hodgson made the comments during an 'One of my first calls as minister was to [Alberta Energy] Minister Brian Jean. This relationship matters, and I am committed to a clean slate,' Hodgson 'I may live in Toronto right now, but I was born on the Prairies. I want you to understand that I will be a voice for Alberta and Western Canada at the Cabinet table.' Born in Winnipeg, Hodgson served in the Canadian Armed Forces before joining investment bank Goldman Sachs, where he held several roles, including CEO of its Canadian operations. 'At Goldman, one of my first major deals is also one of the deals I am still the proudest of today: The Alliance Pipeline,' he said during his address, referring to the pipeline that transports natural gas from western Canada to the United States. Related Stories 3/25/2025 3/13/2025 Hodgson also served on the board of MEG Energy, a Canadian oil sands producer based in Calgary. He was recently the board chair of Hydro One, Ontario's public electricity provider. He also worked as a special adviser to now-Prime Minister Mark Carney when Carney was governor of the Bank of Canada. In his speech, Hodgson said collaboration between provinces, territories, and the federal government is important for advancing nation-building projects. 'This government isn't just about people in suits in Toronto or Ottawa. It's about people in hard hats, on the drilling pads, in the forests, and at the mills,' Hodgson said. 'From Peace River to Lethbridge, from engineers to rig workers—that work powers our country, and it earns our respect.' Alberta's energy minister said he was 'encouraged' by Hodgson's comments, adding that, given Hodgson's previous experience in the oil sands sector, 'he should understand the challenges we face and the importance of getting our oil and gas products to tidewater.' 'It is critical the federal government follows through on these promises and prioritizes the construction of pipelines and energy infrastructure while repealing job and investment-killing legislation and policies like the 'Build-No-Pipelines Act' and the emissions cap,' Jean said in a May 23 statement to The Epoch Times. Alberta has long Hodgson's comments also come at a time when the issues of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has Fast-Tracking Infrastructure Projects During his address, Hodgson said the new federal government would be defined not by 'talk' but by action. 'I want to be very clear: in the new economy we are building, Canada will no longer be defined by delay,' he said. 'We will be defined by delivery.' He said the new government will reduce review times for projects of national interest by more than half by establishing a 'Major Federal Projects Office' to serve as a single window for permits and cut red tape, in line with Carney's commitment to a 'One Project, One Review' policy. Hodgson said Canada's energy is a 'tool for global stability and transformation,' adding that Canada needs to diversify its economy in the face of U.S. tariffs. He added that Canadian exports can help 'our allies break dependence on authoritarian regimes,' referring to oil-producing nations with authoritarian governments like Venezuela and Iran. 'We need infrastructure that gets our energy to tidewater and to trusted allies,' he said. 'We will invest in carbon capture, methane reduction, and other technologies to ensure Canadian oil and gas is not only produced responsibly, but is the most competitive in the world.' He also said that turning Canada into an energy superpower would require reframing the national conversation, which he says will involve building consensus for projects while 'meeting our duty to consult so indigenous peoples are true partners, and protecting our environment so we don't have to clean up mistakes later.' 'I'm a pragmatist, a businessman,' Hodgson said. 'When I see something that needs changing, I work hard to change it.'
Canada Standard
27-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Anxiety, Optimism as Throne Speech Chatter Points Toward Faster Project Approvals
With King Charles III set to deliver the Carney government's first Speech from the Throne beginning at 11 AM Tuesday, the rumour mill in Ottawa was warping between anxiety and optimism, as early signals about fast-tracking major "nation-building" projects stoked fears that climate impacts, environmental protection, and Indigenous consent might be shunted aside. Newly-appointed Energy Minister Tim Hodgson set the tone for the discussion Friday, in what CBC described as a "boisterous speech" to a sold-out business audience in Calgary. "Energy is power," Hodgson told participants. "Energy is Canada's power. It gives us an opportunity to build the strongest economy in the G7, guide the world in the right direction, and be strong when we show up at a negotiation table." He pledged a two-year approval period for major projects, rather than five, declaring that "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." Related: Canada's New Energy Minister Tells Oil and Gas Execs It's Time for Some Quick Wins Hodgson said Canada "will remain a reliable global supplier of oil and gas for decades to come," the Globe and Mail writes, but appeared to emphasize overseas markets that are pivoting swiftly away from fossil fuels. "The real challenge is not whether we produce, but whether we can get the best products to market before someone else does," he said. "It's high time to trade more with people who share our values-not just our border." But while the Globe says industry executives "have given Mr. Carney's government a laundry list of ways to attract energy capital and boost energy security, from scrapping a cap on emissions to streamlining project reviews," CBC reports that Hodgson "did not make any announcements or signal any changes in government policy beyond what the Liberals had pledged during the campaign." That included pressing the oil sands industry to get moving on the Pathways Alliance project, a $16.5-billion carbon capture hub in northern Alberta that has been stalled while the industry tries to arm-twist more generous subsidies out of the federal government. "All of us, governments and industry, need to get the Pathways project done," Hodgson said. "This government will not be a government of talk, but a government of action. We need the same from the province of Alberta and the Pathways Alliance." View our latest digests "We need to demonstrate to our customers outside the U.S., and to our fellow Canadians, that we are a responsible industry," he added. "And this government believes Pathways is critical to that reality." Recent independent analyses have indicated that Pathways won't likely break even without "substantial efficiency improvements" and better revenue prospects and would likely be "scuppered" without permanent subsidies. In October 2023, the Regina-based International CCS Knowledge Centre admitted the technology won't be ready to scale up by 2035. Hodgson previously served on the board of MEG Energy, one of the six companies that make up the Alliance and account for about 95% of Canada's oil sands production. Some of the concern anticipating deregulatory promises in the Throne Speech traces back to advance briefings the government has provided for key stakeholders, and to a May 26 Globe and Mail opinion piece that put forward several "simple fixes" to speed up approvals. It suggested reducing "regulatory duplication" for pipelines over 75 kilometres in length and for critical mineral and metal mines, in each case by limiting the reach of the federal Impact Assessment Act . "Both changes could be made easily and immediately by a simple Cabinet order (amending the regulations under the Impact Assessment Act )," wrote Deloitte Canada national infrastructure leader Jordan Eizenga, Aecon Group Executive VP Tim Murphy, and Ian Anderson, former CEO of Crown-owned Trans Mountain Corporation. "They are not complicated, and they do not require changes to legislation." Among other possible candidates for federal streamlining, "a pipeline operator should not need to undergo another impact assessment to add a compressor station on an existing pipeline. And a railway company should be able to add infrastructure adjacent to its mainline without need for further environmental review," the three authors wrote. As well, "the federal government must designate particular types of projects as being in the national interest where appropriate-fast tracking approval times and reducing budgets." Vittoria Bellissimo, president and CEO of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, said she was pleased to hear Hodgson commit to delivery rather than delay, a major projects office to speed up federal regulatory reviews, and interconnections through a pan-Canadian electricity grid. "Next steps for Canada's clean energy industry is to identify projects. The priority will be on nation-building projects, built by the private sector with involvement from Indigenous communities, and on quick wins," Bellissimo wrote on LinkedIn. "Let's do this." On Thursday, Yukon News identified another nation-building project in the making, reporting that British Columbia and the Yukon are working on a new transmission line that will connect the territory to the North American grid. And Philippe Dunsky, president of Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, pointed out that the effort now under way to dismantle the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act could reduce the country's capital flows to clean power by up to US$1 trillion over the next decade. "Meantime, Canada has been worried about its ability to attract sufficient capital for its clean energy transition needs, including approximately $1 trillion over the coming 25 years to finance new wind, solar, transmission and distribution, nuclear, and other projects. A big part of the concern had been the attractiveness of the IRA," Dunsky wrote on LinkedIn. "Crisis, meet Opportunity." But in a release Monday, Nature Canada stressed that nature must be at the centre of federal decision-making. Related: 95-Metre 'Mega-Banner' Urges Carney to Pick a Path, Choose Renewables and Climate Action "One Project, One Review by federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments is an important policy objective that can be achieved without reopening the federal Impact Assessment Act ," said Executive Director Emily McMillan. "But the federal government cannot abandon reviews of large development projects with environmental effects in federal authority or give carte blanche to provinces to carry out those reviews." Similar worries began rippling through the community last Wednesday, after Prime Minister Mark Carney released a single, concise mandate letter to all his Cabinet ministers that listed seven government priorities-including a new economic and security relationship with the United States, a single, strong Canadian economy, lower costs, and more affordable housing-all of which intersect with climate change, but none of which mentioned it. During the federal election campaign just ended, "the fact that Mark Carney has previously said that climate change was an existential threat demanding meaningful action gave us confidence we were picking a nicer guy with a steady, predictable hand on the wheel-plus, critically, for many of us, a climate plan," wrote Delta Management CEO and Canada's Clean50 founder Gavin Pitchford. "Except now, there's literally no climate plan or clean economy focus listed anywhere in his top seven priorities, as pushed out in the mandate letter to his new ministers this week." On LinkedIn, Pitchford added that diversifying the economy "means diverse products as well as diverse export destinations. The only thing more volatile than Donald Trump is the market for oil and gas. So why on Earth would we double down on pipelines?" Particularly when the global cleantech market is on track to triple in the next decade, he said, while oil and gas "is expected to greatly decrease over the next 15 years." But Clean Energy Canada Executive Director Rachel Doran responded to the mandate letter by pointing to the "abundant and realizable opportunities in the clean economy" that governments can tap into. "The federal government's current focus on building the economy and improving affordability offers clear opportunities and building blocks for a cleaner Canada," she said in a release. "All of Canada's 10 largest non-U.S. trade partners have net-zero commitments and carbon pricing systems, while roughly half of them apply carbon border adjustments on imports and have domestic [electric vehicle] requirements reshaping their car markets. Investing in our supply chains, while growing and leveraging our clean electricity, will be key to building a more globally competitive, and hence resilient, economy-one more able to stand on its own even next to an occasionally unfriendly giant." Source: The Energy Mix
Canada Standard
26-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Canada's New Energy Minister Tells Oil and Gas Execs It's Time for Some Quick Wins
Canada's new energy minister walked into the lion's den last week and spoke to oil and gas executives in Calgary about Ottawa's plans to turn the country into an energy superpower. "I'm not here to waste your time," Tim Hodgson told an event at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce May 23, reports The Canadian Press. Hodgson said it's time for a reset and that major projects need to get done in a more timely manner. He said the federal government will have a single body in charge of approving all major projects in two years. "No more five-year reviews. Decisions will come in two years for all projects. This is not a time for half measures or slow steps," he said. "Canada will no longer be defined by delay. We will be defined by delivery." Related: 95-Metre 'Mega-Banner' Urges Carney to Pick a Path, Choose Renewables and Climate Action Hodgson said there are two types of projects: large ones that are in the national interest and may take longer to complete and others that could happen sooner. "There are common projects that we can identify which will be quick wins," he said. "I think we were elected to show some quick wins." The minister had plans to meet with his Alberta counterpart, Brian Jean. He also sat down with Saskatchewan deputy premier Jim Reiter. Some oil executives said Hodgson's comments are encouraging, but only time will tell if they come to fruition. "There's a lot of cautious optimism in the room," said Craig Watt, vice-president of operations for Enserva, a national association representing energy companies. "I think we have some hope at the moment, but we're going to be watching to make sure the minister and the government lives up to what they're promising." Alberta Minister of Indigenous Relations Rajan Sawhney said she was encouraged after hearing the speech. "That Canada needs to be a superpower in terms of conventional and clean energy and the fact that we're looking at accelerated timelines is also very encouraging. Looking forward to a productive working relationship," she said. Mark Scholz, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, said he was also impressed. "Our workers matter. And the fact (Hodgson) came out and said the oil and gas sector is an absolutely critical part of the Canadian economy ... these are very encouraging statements," he said. "At the end of the day, we're willing to work with the government. "We want to see big projects built." This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025. Source: The Energy Mix
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Labour chases Reform, they're bleeding votes on the left
Just two weeks after Reform UK's local election triumph, the government announced a major crackdown on immigration. But while Labour scrambles to neutralise the threat from the right, it risks losing another, just as substantial, cohort to its left, argues Fonie Mitsopoulou. The electorate doesn't love Labour at the moment. Recent polls indicate that of those that voted Labour in the 2024 election, only 46 per cent would do so again were an election to happen tomorrow. In Labour's leftist flanks, there is a persistent feeling that Starmer has deserted his traditional base by shifting to the right by an unwelcome degree, cutting down on welfare and legal migration. 43 per cent of Labour voters feel that their party is trying to appeal to Reform UK voters. The party's manifesto vowed to lower net migration, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer's speech announcing plans to curb the influx went further than anything the party promised in the run up to the election. It wasn't lost on many that Starmer gave that speech just two weeks after Labour was doled a net loss of 187 councillors at the May local election. Right across, Reform's numbers swelled. The party netted 677 seats, from a standing start. But while the Starmer administration try to stop a bleed from the right, there is also a vacuum for disenchanted Labour voters who remain impervious to Reform's temptations. In fact, the largest portion of Labour's supporters are now undecided voters – up for grabs. In focus groups, More in Common pollster Ed Hodgson found an unprecedented number of people citing that the government is deaf to their concerns. 'Whereas, if you look at it objectively, the government now probably has more access to opinion data than they've ever had, and they probably are listening even more than any other government,' Hodgson said. While the government recently reversed the wildly unpopular winter fuel payment cuts, they incurred opprobrium for delaying it by ten months from when the policy change was announced. According to Hodgson, 'if people listen badly, it's almost worse than not listening at all.' Interpreting focus groups 'in bad faith' to 'basically justify what you want to do anyway,' or seeming like Number 10 is making decisions just because they poll well, then politicians lose 'a lot of their credibility and authenticity,' Hodgson added. Another explanation is that 2024 Labour voters aren't 'real', card-carrying Labour voters. For Steve Akehurst, pollster and director of Persuasion UK, Labour benefited as anti-Conservative voters rallied behind what seemed like the Tories' strongest opponent at the time. Where do disillusioned, leftist, ex-Labour supporters go? It depends on their age. 'The younger ones are pretty clearly going to the Green Party and … the older groups are pretty clearly going to the Liberal Democrats,' said Hosgson. Younger generations don't have as much of an entrenched party identity. 'In the past, you would have a much bigger flank of people who saw themselves as a Labour voter or see themselves as a Conservative person,' said Hodgson, noting that 'particularly with young people, those tethers are sort of disconnected.' While the dangers of Reform are making the political weather, it is Lib Dems that have taken the biggest bite out of Labour's voter share. As much as 12 per cent of them have defected to the Lib Dems. For Akehurst, this is 'just a bit nuts.' The Lib Dems gained 163 local councillors in the recent elections, bringing them up to 370. A Liberal Democrat source told City AM that at the 2026 local elections, it will become apparent in 'key areas in London' that the Lib Dems 'are the real challengers to Labour.' The Lib Dem conception of their charm is their ability to occupy an unreserved space as an unobjectionable alternative when the other parties disappoint. The source said that as 'both Labour and the Conservatives desert Middle England, we are proving to be able to fill that gap with our community politics at local level and refusal to kowtow to Donald Trump on the national stage.' Steff Acquarone, Lib Dem MP, summarised the party's brand – which is not always apparent – to City AM. 'We believe in business and free enterprise. We also believe in individual liberty,' he said. 'I don't really see the left-right spectrum as massively indicative anymore. I think we describe ourselves as progressive,' Aquarone said. However, Aquarone denies that they are 'One Nation' Tories – who perch on the socially liberal end of the Conservative Party – 'in a different colour.' What distinguishes the Lib Dems is, for Aquarone, their 'internationalist' stance. 'You can see Tory members shimmering in frustration with some of the frankly unhinged things that their party is saying at the moment, but I don't think we're One Nation Conservatives wearing a different colour.' The Greens are often discounted, but they snagged nine per cent of Labour's 2024 voters according to Akehurst, and they're hoping to convert even more. In fact, the party won a record high number of seats in the recent local elections, adding a net 43 to their ranks – 859 seats on 181 councils. But the Greens have a PR problem: the majority of people don't know how they feel about the co-leaders. 82 per cent don't hold an opinion on Adrian Ramsay; it's 75 per cent for Carla Denyer. The party is in the process of refreshing its brand and changing its leadership. Denyer is stepping down, and Green rules state that puts both leadership seats up for grabs. Zach Polanski, deputy leader, is challenging Ramsay in the running for Green leader (Green rules also dictate co-leaders must represent both genders). Polanski told City AM Starmer's stumbles explain the migration of voters. 'The Labour Party are absolutely letting people down from a range of policies, from the winter fuel payments, to the two child benefit cap,' to their 'appalling' record of 'standing up for refugees' and to the government's mutable stance on the 'genocide in Gaza, which they seem to be changing their rhetoric on.' 'There's this vacuum in politics, and we've seen Reform and Nigel Farage trying to step into it on the right,' he said. But Polanski has a plan to win over the voters on the left; 'there's a huge space for the Green Party to be bolder and really speak to people who used to vote Labour and say; 'you're not leaving the Labour Party, the Labour Party has left you'.' Polanksi doesn't identify his party with partisan politics, either. 'I don't see it as kind of the old spectrum of politics,' Polanski said. 'Actually, when you look at where we've won seats at council level from other parties, it's often equal between the Labour Party and Conservative Party,' he added. 'I think it's about being really clear about what we stand for and being really clear about what we stand against,' he said. 'Whether you're a young renter who is living in the city that wants rent controls, or you're a farmer who is being screwed over by aggregate corporate capital, or the supermarkets aren't paying you what you deserve for the food,' for Polanski, the Greens' appeal is cross-cutting. The fact that voters are more amenable to non-mainstream parties might indicate a trend towards issue voting. However, tracking parties' views without the left-right heuristic can become disorienting. Recent Reform voters disproportionately turned to Nigel Farage out of a desire for change, seeking a divergence from the same two parties that have alternated control of the government for decades. It seems that the Lib Dems and Greens are benefiting from the same inclination to vote in protest, enabling them to break out – at least for now – from their status as niche, non-establishment parties.
