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The oil patch may have lost a big opportunity with the Harper era
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-oil-patch-may-have-lost-a-big-opportunity-with-the-harper-era/article26881093/Now that power is being handed over to Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, one wonders if the industry missed out on its most favourable political landscape. All of the major initiatives it has pushed for – increased access to more international markets, new pipelines to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, rights-of-way through First Nations lands, avoidance of more environmental costs – are undone.
The collapse in oil prices, meanwhile, has taken a toll on plans for expansion, from the oil sands to the Arctic, regardless of political will. Mr. Trudeau, who made a point of spending much time in Alberta during the campaign, faces the challenges of winning over a skeptical electorate while balancing his environmental platform with the need to protect jobs in the province’s main industry.
The oil patch can’t blame voters. In fact, the energy industry could not have hoped for a more friendly collection of federal and provincial governments over the past nine years. Right-leaning governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan had been more than sympathetic to the sector’s key causes, from keeping oil and gas royalties in check and carbon emissions goals modest, to fighting for its pipeline aims.
In British Columbia, energy companies and Alberta’s former Progressive Conservative government were unable to make a case for bitumen pipelines to the Pacific Coast. But the industry has enjoyed Premier Christy Clark’s enthusiasm for advancing liquefied natural gas proposals, even though no developer has made a decision to proceed yet.
The collapse in oil prices, meanwhile, has taken a toll on plans for expansion, from the oil sands to the Arctic, regardless of political will. Mr. Trudeau, who made a point of spending much time in Alberta during the campaign, faces the challenges of winning over a skeptical electorate while balancing his environmental platform with the need to protect jobs in the province’s main industry.
The oil patch can’t blame voters. In fact, the energy industry could not have hoped for a more friendly collection of federal and provincial governments over the past nine years. Right-leaning governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan had been more than sympathetic to the sector’s key causes, from keeping oil and gas royalties in check and carbon emissions goals modest, to fighting for its pipeline aims.
In British Columbia, energy companies and Alberta’s former Progressive Conservative government were unable to make a case for bitumen pipelines to the Pacific Coast. But the industry has enjoyed Premier Christy Clark’s enthusiasm for advancing liquefied natural gas proposals, even though no developer has made a decision to proceed yet.
Beauty, eh?
4 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
Response to KamaAina (Original post)
