Peace River MLA Dan Williams is criticizing the federal government for an energy company pulling out of a mine.
On February 23, Teck Recourses Ltd. CEO and President, Don Lindsay, wrote a letter to the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Johnathon Wilkinson saying it was withdrawing its application for a mine between Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan.
Lindsay stated some reasons for pulling the application in this paragraph from his letter to the federal government.
“However, global capital markets are changing rapidly and investors and customers are increasingly looking for jurisdictions to have a framework in place that reconciles resource development and climate change, in order to produce the cleanest possible products. This does not yet exist here today and, unfortunately, the growing debate around this issue has placed Frontier and our company squarely at the nexus of much broader issues that need to be resolved. In that context, it is now evident that there is no constructive path forward for the project. Questions about the societal implications of energy development, climate change and Indigenous rights are critically important ones for Canada, its provinces and Indigenous governments to work through.”
Williams feels the lack of clarity from Ottawa led to Teck’s decision.
“It is because of the Trudeau government’s inability to write a clear path for projects to move forward,” says Williams. “This has shattered investor confidence inside – and especially outside – Canada in our energy sector.”
Williams also pointed out that when the budget was released last week, it did not factor Teck into the equation so its decision to end its application will not affect Alberta’s bottom line.
“Our budget assessments were very conservative,” states Williams. “We used realistic, plausible, numbers for the royalty revenue we are expecting. It is now a blow to the budget as we are still on track to balance.”
Williams also had some words for people who are protesting the budget.
“The protesters that were outside the legislature shouting ‘no more pipelines’, I remind them that it’s pipelines, and a fair deal for Alberta that will allow us to pay our nurses, our doctors, our teachers and build our bridges. “
– Kenny Trenton, Trending 55 Newsroom
