Devin Drover is the General Counsel with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.It may seem like déjà vu, but Alberta is taking the federal government to court to stop overreach and save taxpayers from footing the bill for the costs of delayed or cancelled resource projects. And that’s good news for taxpayers.This all comes back to the Trudeau government’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) in 2019. At the time, it branded the law as a way to bring clarity and transparency to major project reviews. Instead, it delivered uncertainty, red tape, and a near-total veto over provincial economic development..EDITORIAL: Firing of Alberta coach for his views is an attack on free speech .The law was quickly nicknamed the “no more pipelines” act by former Alberta premier Jason Kenney. It created sweeping federal powers to review projects that are clearly within provincial jurisdiction, such as mines, highways, and small-scale natural resource development. Projects already facing years of environmental approvals at the provincial level were suddenly at the mercy of Ottawa regulators who could delay or kill them outright.But then provinces and taxpayers pushed back.Alberta’s provincial government challenged the law at the Alberta Court of Appeal. The court ruled that portions of the IAA were unconstitutional in 2022. The judges were blunt, writing that in enacting the IAA, “Parliament has taken a wrecking ball to the constitutional right of the citizens of Alberta and Saskatchewan and other provinces” to develop their natural resources..The federal government appealed, and in 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada largely agreed with Alberta. The court found that the IAA went too far and gave Ottawa control over matters that belong to the provinces.That should have been the end of it. But instead of scrapping the law, the federal government amended the IAA in 2024 and claimed the changes fixed the constitutional problems. Alberta is not buying it, and neither should taxpayers..EDITORIAL: The 'Wild West' had more justice than Liberal Canada.The province now is back in court, once again asking judges to strike down the IAA in its new form. That’s because Prime Minister Mark Carney hasn’t changed Ottawa’s approach. Ottawa still wants to hold a veto over resource development in the provinces, no matter how much time, money, and effort has already gone into provincial reviews.Why should taxpayers care? Because when projects are delayed or cancelled, it costs jobs and tax revenue. It means higher government debt and interest payments, fewer royalties, and weaker provincial economies. Every time a mine or pipeline is stalled by Ottawa, it hits taxpayers with the bill through lost revenues and higher spending to prop up struggling communities..The amended IAA does little to solve these problems. Ottawa still gives itself broad discretion to decide which projects fall under its review. It still duplicates provincial processes, forcing companies to spend millions on regulatory paperwork. It still leaves Canadian energy and mining companies at a competitive disadvantage compared to their international rivals.That’s why the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is intervening in the Alberta Court of Appeal to fight the federal government. Taxpayers need a strong voice to remind judges and politicians that bad laws have real costs. When governments chase away investment, it is ordinary families who pay more and get less..EDITORIAL: Bring back the Eskimos.This fight is not just about pipelines or mining. It is about who pays the price when Ottawa oversteps. If Alberta loses investment because of endless reviews, if Saskatchewan sees projects delayed, or if Newfoundland and Labrador struggles to get offshore development approved, the costs land on taxpayers across the country. Fewer projects mean fewer royalties and higher taxes for everyone.Ottawa had its chance to fix the Impact Assessment Act. It chose to tinker instead of reform. Now it’s time to strike down the law completely.Devin Drover is the General Counsel with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
