united conservative party

There are a good many people in my home province, who wouldn’t buy into this line of thought for a second. However, Alberta is the powerhouse producer of oil and gas in Canada, and politically deserves its bad rap for thwarting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent resolution by Alberta's ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) to recognize carbon as "a foundational nutrient for all life on Earth" is rooted in fossil fuel disinformation that dates back to the 1990s.

The regulations, still only in draft format and about two years behind schedule, could further strain relations between Ottawa and the Alberta government which recently launched a $7-million advertising campaign to "scrap the cap."

A proposal to stop labelling carbon dioxide as a pollutant and instead celebrate it as a "foundational nutrient for all life on Earth” will be up for debate at the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting in November.

Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz encouraged Canadians to "look at the facts" about the proposed federal emissions cap. She might want to think twice about that.

For anyone who complained about Jason Kenney’s shoddy leadership in Alberta, it’s a useful reminder that no matter how bad things may seem, they can always get worse. We’re about to get another example of that, it seems, as Danielle Smith's UCP government greases the skids for a massive bailout of the oil and gas industry and its growing inventory of unreclaimed and orphaned wells.

Why is a populist politician like Danielle Smith pursuing unpopular policies and positions? Because she understands where the real threat lies for a conservative premier. As former conservative premiers like Jason Kenney have learned the hard way, the call almost always comes from inside the house.

Two reports that exaggerate the cost of an emissions cap to the oil and gas industry are excellent data points in support of Mark Twain’s dim view of statistics, and both are shaped by assumptions — presumably directed by the organizations funding them — that have no resemblance to reality. 

In February, the United Conservative Party government announced new rules to develop renewable power in the province. They impose a 35-kilometre buffer zone around protected areas and what the government calls "pristine viewscapes."

It's just the latest example of a deepening fissure between Smith's United Conservative Party government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced legislation to gatekeep and if necessary veto any future deal struck between municipalities and the federal government.

In Danielle Smith's Alberta, wind and solar are buried under mountains of red tape and regulation while oil, gas, and coal mining get a free pass. Even Don Quixote would have a hard time tilting at windmills this shamelessly.

Alberta's former deputy premier entered the province's NDP leadership on Sunday with criticism of the federal carbon levy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Based on the projects that were lined up before the Alberta government’s moratorium on renewals, an additional $170 million to $250 million in revenues could bolster municipal budgets in just a few years. 

Alberta separation is the bad idea that just won't die — and Friday's Supreme Court decision could give it renewed life. Is it finally time to take it seriously?