Alberta Premier deflects heat from Ontario

Jason Fekete, Calgary Herald; November 25, 2009--Premier Ed Stelmach went on the offensive Tuesday to rebuff environmental salvos toward Alberta from Ontario's premier and a former U.S. vice-president, while taking heat back home for not heading to global climate-change talks in Copenhagen.

With provincial and federal environment ministers meeting today to discuss national proposals for combating climate change, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty raised concerns that Ottawa will "discriminate" against Ontario when a Canadian strategy is implemented.

While the Ontario premier didn't specifically target Alberta and its oilsands, McGuinty served notice his province's environmental gains should not be used to allow other provinces "off the hook" in any national emissions reduction scheme.

His comments came on the heels of former U.S. vice-president, now climate-change crusader Al Gore, who told a Toronto newspaper that developing the Alberta oilsands threatens "the future of human civilization."

Stelmach said the political opposition both at home and abroad demands Alberta use every tool it has to protect its lucrative oilsands and let the rest of the world know the province is committed to reducing its environmental footprint.

"We've seen the latest criticism, just (Tuesday), from another premier from Ontario, we've seen criticism by an ex-American official that wants to put, of course, the oilsands to bed, to just shut them down," Stelmach said. "We have to do whatever we can to protect our markets."

Asked if he was disappointed in McGuinty's comments, Stelmach said he will fight to ensure his province isn't unfairly targeted in a Canadian climate-change plan, noting he doesn't want to see a national carbon tax similar to what B.C. adopted.

"I don't want to see a premier imposing a policy across Canada that might put additional huge costs to Albertans. It's totally unfair," Stelmach said.

A key component of Alberta's global environmental pitch is its focus on carbon capture and storage, a technology the province is depending on for 70 per cent of its long-term emissions reductions.

The Stelmach government officially signed a letter of intent Tuesday with Enhance Energy and North West Upgrading that will see $495 million of provincial cash allocated over 15 years to what will potentially be the world's largest carbon capture and storage project.

The 240-kilometre Alberta Carbon Trunk Line pipeline from the industrial heartland region near Fort Saskatchewan south to producing oil wells near Clive(north of Red Deer) will help produce tough-to-reach oil and ultimately generate more energy royalties. It will also carry upwards of
14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Construction is slated to begin in 2011 with the system operating by late 2012.

Political opponents attacked the government, however, for the latest carbon-capture project and the province's total $2-billion commitment to CCS, arguing the dollars are better spent on a health-care system that is facing a deficit of more than $1 billion.

"At a time when we are scrambling to find money to keep our health-care system operating...it appals me that we are spending $2 billion on what is effectively a subsidy for very profitable oil and gas corporations to help them with their carbon problem," NDP Leader Brian Mason said. "It's not an appropriate use for taxpayers' money."

Liberal Leader David Swann said the province can't rely solely on carbon capture to be the silver bullet. He wants the government to adopt a broader green strategy that focuses on public transit, renewable energy and "looking seriously" at a carbon fee.

"We have the largest footprint in the world per capita. We need to be acting on this much more forcefully," Swann said.

Wildrose Alliance MLA Paul Hinman said "there's a lot more important priorities in the province" than to invest in an unproven science.