Order in Council, June 25, 2020, changing Steve Allan’s terms of reference mighty late in the witch hunt game. Note especially: “if any” foreign funding! Kenney farce extraordinaire.
DaleOldman-Posts from behind Kennemy lines @dale_oldman
UCP’s Grand Inquisitor apparently unable to back @jkenney’s propaganda, so the #UCP change the terms of reference for the inquiry (1 month before it was to be complete) and toss it another million.
Wording tweaks change terms of Alberta inquiry into environmentalist foreign funding, Inquiry investigating role of foreign funding, ‘if any,’ in anti-Alberta energy campaigns by Michelle Bellefontaine, CBC News, Jun 26, 2020
The terms of reference for the Alberta public inquiry on alleged foreign funding of environmental groups has been amended to include language that hints at the possibility that it might not have actually happened.
The $2.5 million inquiry was launched in July 2019 by Premier Jason Kenney to investigate “the anti-Alberta campaign,” in which foreign groups were allegedly helping fund Canadian environmental groups that opposed Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
The inquiry was a key plank of the United Conservative Party’s platform in the 2019 provincial election.
The June 25 order-in-council, signed by Energy Minister Sonya Savage, makes some wording changes to the terms of reference. It now states that the “commissioner shall inquire into the role of foreign funding, if any, in anti-Alberta energy campaigns.”
It originally said, “the commissioner shall inquire into anti-Alberta energy campaigns that are supported, in whole or in part, by foreign organizations.”
Another amendment adds the word “if” to this statement: “The commissioner shall make such findings and recommendations as the commissioner considers advisable to…enable the Government of Alberta to respond effectively if any anti-Alberta energy campaigns funded, in whole or in part, in the manner described in [a previous section].”
The order in council also made some other changes, which were announced by Savage on Thursday.
It extended the deadline for commissioner Steve Allan to submit his report by four months to Oct. 30, and increased his budget by $1 million. The extra money is coming from funding set aside for the Canadian Energy Centre, also known as the energy war room.
Savage said the extra time was granted to allow the commissioner “to fairly and justly complete the inquiry process and follow up on the materials discovered to date.”
Allan is required to submit a revised budget to the minister by July 6.
Interim report not released
Savage was not available for an interview on Friday. Allan’s spokesman Alan Boras referred CBC to the energy minister’s office.
Kavi Bal, Savage’s press secretary, said the changes to the terms of reference were made for “legal clarity and consistency,” adding they weren’t based on findings in the interim report.
“Government would not be approving further work on due diligence if there was no indication or reason to conduct this work,” Bal wrote in an email to CBC News.
Calgary-McCall MLA Irfan Sabir, energy critic for the Opposition NDP, thinks the inquiry didn’t find evidence of foreign meddling so it needed to come up with a justification for spending public dollars.
“They’re changing the terms of reference; they’re softening the language — that ‘OK, we spent $3.5 million to find out something,'” Sabir said.
Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer appointed Allan, an accountant from Calgary, to lead the year-long probe. Allan was given the option of holding public hearings, if he felt they were required, following the completion of an interim report.
A preliminary report submitted by Allan to Savage at the end of January was not released by the government.
A statement posted on the website for the inquiry states the report was extended to Oct. 30, 2020 “to hear from funding entities that have been identified in the Inquiry’s research to date, and to accommodate challenges due to COVID-19.
“In its work to date, the inquiry has conducted more than 100 interviews with academics, researchers, industry officials, environmentalists, not-for-profit organizations and members of Indigenous communities to gather a variety of views.”
The statement goes on to say the commissioner “will afford parties an opportunity to consider and respond to relevant material,” and further information on the processes will be released in the near future.
A few of the comments:
Paul Smith Reply to @Robert Anderson:
When there is a crooked as crap UCP government planting evidence, owning the judge and looking for a lynching there is reason to worry. …
Gary Haggquist Reply to @Robert Anderson:
Only environmental groups aren’t worried. We know who’s worried. The people who are changing the terms of reference, “softening” the language, and sitting on preliminary reports, while they balloon budgets to try and hide the boondoggle they’ve created.
Jim Harrison
Maybe some in the ucp are finally realizing that it’s the majority of ordinary Canadians who care about the environment. Not some communist/socialist/leftist cabal…
Bryan McKelvie
3.5 million taxpayer dollars thrown away to investigate a conspiracy theory that the UCP feeds the yokels to keep them in line. Glad to know that we can’t have teachers or doctors but wasting millions is just fine
John Adams
Another million to the man that got Schweitzer elected. …
Paul Squires
Will there ever be an investigation into all the people who come to Alberta and want to take it over or damage it’s government? Aberhart? harper? Kenney? Hill? Those guys?
Dave Mack
The government doesn’t want to pay nurses, doctors or teachers. However, funding ghost hunters? Oh yeah.
Bert van Reply to @Dave Mack:
In cowboy hats, go figure.
Loran Graham
Wow Steve Allan…you did your ‘due diligence’ at quite a hefty cost to Alberta. Unbelievable waste of time and money. Savage sure likes to spend money on due diligence. Can’t wait to see that report.
Bert van Reply to @Loran Graham:
You will never see that report. The UCP. Will bury it deeper than the truth about the kamikaze affair.
Paul Squires Reply to @Loran Graham:
No report can be made. This money all comes from the War Room and thus we don’t need to know, it’s protected information.
Paul Squires Reply to @Andy Davis:
The point is, not having found an enemy the war room has now been redefined to harass any group in the future that the UCP considers an enemy. Municipal councils, school boards, concerned citizens. Who knows where these ‘enemies’ lurk!
Environmentalist foreign funding inquiry given another 4 months and $1M to finish report by Michelle Bellefontaine, CBC News, Jun 25, 2020
… The original deadline for the final report was July 2, 2020. Allan submitted his interim report at the end of January.
Allan’s work has been cloaked in secrecy since then.
The government declined to release Allan’s interim report.
Environmental groups frequently cited by Premier Jason Kenney as hostile to Alberta’s oil and gas industry like the Pembina Institute, Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation and MakeWay, the organization formerly known as Tides Canada, said earlier this year that they had not been contacted by Allan for an interview.
Calgary-McCall MLA Irfan Sabir, the NDP critic for energy, was critical of the government’s decision to spend more money on the inquiry.
“There certainly has not been a single development or recommendation that will improve Alberta’s economy or create jobs, and now the premier is throwing another $1 million into Steve Allan’s bank account and giving him a four-month extension, with no further details,” Sabir said in a statement. “This inquiry has turned into a politically driven sham and an embarrassment.”
A statement posted on the website for the inquiry states the report was extended to October 30, 2020 “to hear from funding entities that have been identified in the Inquiry’s research to date, and to accommodate challenges due to COVID-19.
“In its work to date, the Inquiry has conducted more than 100 interviews with academics, researchers, industry officials, environmentalists, not-for-profit organizations and members of Indigenous communities to gather a variety of views.”
The statement goes on to say the commissioner “will afford parties an opportunity to consider and respond to relevant material,” and further information on the processes will be released in the near future. 
That Kenney will keep secret?
Alberta probe into foreign funding of anti-oil groups extended to October by Canadian Press, June 26, 2020, Calgary Herald
EDMONTON — Alberta’s public inquiry into whether foreign money is bankrolling anti-oil protests in Canada is going into overtime.
Energy Minister Sonya Savage says the initial findings from the inquiry’s commissioner, Steve Allan, show more work is needed to complete the final report.
So, Savage says the government is extending the deadline for the report to Oct. 30 from July 2.
Also, an extra $1 million will be added to the existing $2.5-million budget.
The cash will be diverted from the budget of the Canadian Energy Centre, the government’s so-called energy “war room.”
The inquiry was an election promise by Premier Jason Kenney, who has said he believes foreign funders are pulling the strings on domestic protesters to undermine Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
Critics say Allan is not fact-finding but is out to prove a pre-determined conclusion Or, is leading an extremely expensive operation to make pathetic white privileged men feel more powerful than they are. Unforgivable waste of one hell of a lot money in a pandemic that ought to go instead to front line workers in cleaning companies, grocery stores or to families of meat packing plant workers that died from Covid-19 and in doing so harming the reputations of those who legitimately and lawfully question the expansion of oil and gas operations.
Late last year, the environmental law firm Ecojustice launched legal action, asking a court to strike down the inquiry, saying the process is politically motivated, prejudges conclusions and is outside provincial jurisdiction.
Savage, in a statement issued Thursday, said it’s critical that Allan have the resources and time to do the job properly.
“How Alberta — and Canada — come through this economic crisis depends in large part on the survival and successful recovery of our energy sector,” said Savage.
Like this?
Why Encana Corp. Is Just a Big Disappointment; Stock price tanked 80% in the last 10 years
“We look forward to the recommendations of the commissioner. We will do whatever it takes to support one of Canada’s most important industries as we set a path toward economic recovery and renewed prosperity.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2020.
Refer also to:
Stinky, Sleazy & Creepy: Kenney’s war room records office is Calgary law firm Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP. Danny Yeoman: “War room is a GIANT WASTE OF MONEY…we’re having to lay off thousands of people to pay for it.” And, giving the public’s money to rich lawyers? Something stinks.
UK: Frac’ing is over as the big frac lies fail
Kenney’s $2.5 Million “Public Inquiry” Witch Hunt has paid law firm Dentons Canada $905,000 so far! Is Steve Allan’s job to steal from Alberta taxpayers to give to lawyers in exchange for Kenney favours? What a toxic circus Alberta govt is. Or, maybe the money is to pay Harper for his time puppeting KKKenney?
Or, perhaps KKKenney plans to give the million dollars to poor evil law-violating cowardly run away to the USA Encana/Ovintiv? Encana/Ovintiv Greedy Frac’ing Bloodbath Continues, Kills More Jobs After Promising Not To.
Pension Pirates on a tear in Alberta! Where’s the RCMP?
Kenney’s 30 Million dollar Alberta War Room fartin’ up a storm o’ lies ‘n shit on Twitter.
Alberta senior to Jason Kenney: “Keep your criminal little fingers off my CPP pension!!”