It is a letter. A five-page letter.
You could call it THE letter. Whatever happens with this letter will play a big, big part in Alberta’s place in Canada going forward.
It is dated May 16, signed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
On Monday, June 2, this letter will be on the table when Carney sits down with the premiers in Saskatoon.
Before Smith gets around to making her offer, she begins her letter to Carney talking about how what Alberta wants will “address serious issues plaguing Canada’s economic well-being and the very real sense of alienation felt across the West.”
This is serious stuff. Alberta has had more than enough.
The premier writes how Alberta’s oil and gas is valued at $14 trillion. That’s trillion with a T.
She says Canada needs to leverage those resources to provide services Canadians need, attract investors back and create well-paying jobs.
Smith tells Carney Alberta requires “a guaranteed corridor and port access to tidewater off the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic coasts.”
Then Smith proposes an oil pipeline to the west coast.
She says Asian customers in Japan and South Korea have told her they believe Canada needs to “accelerate market access of our oil, LNG, ammonia and critical minerals faster.”
Alberta’s pitch is to build out the B.C. port of Prince Rupert.
Smith also points out only 15 per cent of Alberta has access to tidewater outside of the U.S.
The premier mentions more must be done than just
TMX, the Trans Mountain pipeline
.
“We must build on what TMX delivered by creating another pipeline that delivers similar economic uplift, jobs, opportunities for reconciliation and Canadian security.”
This is where Smith turns up the temperature on her pitch to Carney.
The premier says an oil pipeline has to be on Carney’s list of nation-building projects to be fast-tracked.
If an oil pipeline is not on the list, it will send a signal to private investment and not a good one.
It will also … and read between these lines … “send an unwelcome signal to Albertans concerned about Ottawa’s commitment to national unity.”
Smith adds there must be “a clear path to increasing oil and gas production so that Canada can achieve its full economic potential by avoiding the stranding of trillions of dollars of energy assets in Alberta.”
What is Smith’s idea of a clear path to more oil and gas production?
THE BIGGIE.
Scrap the cap on oil and gas emissions.
“No deal can be reached with this destructive and industry-killing regulation in place,” insists Smith.
Then there’s the federal
No More Pipelines law. Bill C-69
.
Here is Smith.
“Overhauling Bill C-69 so that it is focused on efficiency that respects provincial jurisdiction and delivers a true one project, one assessment approach.”
The Alberta government has already sent the federal government a detailed list of changes to that law.
In real people talk, Alberta wants Ottawa to stop sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong. Those days are over.
Then there’s punting the Liberal
clean electricity regulation
.
Smith tells Carney it is “blatantly unconstitutional and likely to be overturned by the courts.”
It also, continues the premier, casts “a chill on investment” in natural gas.
As Smith has said many times, she wants tankers to transport oil from the port of Prince Rupert to Asia.
She also wants Ottawa’s current carbon tax law, all of it, deep-sixed.
The bottom line.
The Alberta government wants a new oil pipeline to the west coast AND massive changes to Liberal Ottawa’s laws and regulations so private investors will come forward and Alberta can get on with business.
Smith again says the Carney government must “move very quickly to strike down regulations and restrictive policies.”
In the end, Smith tells the prime minister Alberta has a team ready to negotiate on a deal. She asks Carney to appoint his team. She will be asking the same of B.C. Premier David Eby, since the pipeline would go through B.C.
The premier says Liberal policies in the last decade have resulted in “tens of billions in lost royalties that could have been invested in the health, education, infrastructure and social services Albertans and Canadians need.”
She reminds Carney: “Prime Minister, Canada needs a strong Alberta.”
Now the ball is in Carney’s court and the stakes have never been higher.
This past Thursday, Smith spoke to the UCP faithful at a dinner in Calgary.
The premier called on the Carney government not to stand in the way of Alberta’s right “to develop and export the incredible resources we have for the benefit of our families and future generations.”
She spoke of the
outcome of the federal election
and the frustration following the Carney win.
“And why wouldn’t Albertans be frustrated?” asked Smith.
We will check on the frustration after Carney makes his move.
rbell@postmedia.com
