Alberta’s oil industry associations are a typically non-partisan bunch. .Little wonder, given how they find themselves in the crosshairs of provincial and federal environment and climate change policies regardless of which party is in power..But given the wish-list from the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC), one can make an educated guess where their sensibilities lie..According to Jen Paterson, EPAC’s communications director, the group’s wish list is fairly simple. In an email to the Western Standard on behalf of the group’s member companies, she submitted a fairly short list..“In relation to the election, EPAC and our member companies want to see the following from the next Alberta government:.Improved competitiveness for energy and clean technology development in Alberta compared to other jurisdictions.Improved market access out of Alberta, with increased pipeline and LNG egress for our products.Improved timelines, predictability and transparency in energy-related regulatory decisions.”.The association represents more than 139 member oil and gas companies ranging from start-ups to juniors and large producers operating in Canada, with a focus on non-oil sands and gas development..Whereas the larger Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) represents the bigger international oil producers, especially oil sands companies, EPAC’s members are a larger cross-section of the grassroots companies that produce about 35% of Canada’s natural gas and 30% of Canada’s conventional oil. In total they account for more than $150 billion in assets, all of it in Western Canada..In this election, energy took a back seat to other issues such as healthcare and taxes, but it remains essential to the economic fortunes of this province — and the ability of politicians to pay for their promises..Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives gave a fairly consistent message on energy issues, including the carbon tax..The NDP in contrast have been all over the map, with leader Rachel Notley touting pipelines to tidewater even as her star candidates argued against them..In April, she told the Herley Burly podcast emissions reduction is her party’s “starting point” when it comes to energy. But in an interview this morning on QR 770 and 630 CHED she touted her support for the TransMountain Expansion to Burnaby even though both the BC NDP and federal leader Jagmeet Singh were firmly opposed..Last week, however, it was revealed Airdrie-Cochrane candidate Shaun Fluker — who has been touted as a possible energy minister in a Notley government — was the lead attorney arguing in favour of Bill C-69, the ‘anti-pipeline act,’ at the Supreme Court of Canada..Notley hasn’t given a clear statement on her party’s position with respect to the carbon tax, which she actually introduced during her tenure before it was revoked in the first order of business for the previous Kenney government..By contrast, Smith told a press conference in Calgary Friday she will continue to do what she can to fight the consumer carbon tax, even exploring the possibility of a second Supreme Court challenge on narrower grounds than Alberta’s first failed attempt to have it revoked..“We’ve taken the approach that we oppose a retail carbon tax, for good reason,” she said..“We’re a natural gas basin, most of our homes are fuelled by natural gas, much of our electricity is powered by natural gas and we want to make sure that we do aggressive emissions reductions on industry, but we don’t want to see the price of everything go up for our seniors on fixed income, especially in the winter months, so I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to try to continue to fight against the carbon tax.”
