Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
My issue with the Fraser Institute report here is that on the news they were referring to the carbon tax as a potential concern. To me that's not right. Last year the big producers were on the stage with Notley and they all seem in favour. Now it's a negative for oil and gas investment? It can't be both.
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It was a pretty select number of specific producers. They don't represent the entire industry at all and there was a lot of accusations about them locking in a (relatively) good deal for themselves.
It would be like looking at the policies of Trudeau (or any other politician) and saying people can't complain about them, look at the millions of people who voted for him and all those people standing on the stage with him. And honestly, that's also a terrible analogy. You'd have to find the handful of the richest people standing on stage with him that supported his policies and then blanket assume Canada would act and do the same.
EDIT:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...sers-1.3347197
Alberta climate plan makes for winners and losers in the oilsands
Those four companies were involved in consultations with environmental groups and politicians for around a year, even before the NDP election in May.
Imperial Oil, the biggest oilsands player not represented on the stage, said that it was reserving judgment on the plan until it had more details. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which typically talks for industry, is also uncertain.
That is notable. Four energy companies that represent more than half of Alberta's oilsands production stand behind the policy, but the group that represents them isn't sure.
Let's look at why.
Although the energy industry may sometimes seem to possess a hive mind, it is made up of hundreds of companies with different technologies, different oil reservoirs, different finances and different agendas.
By design, Alberta's climate change policy does not create a level playing field. It rewards companies that are the most efficient when it comes to greenhouse-gas emissions per barrel of oil and penalizes those that are less efficient. As a result, there will be clear winners and losers, in the oilsands and outside of them as well.