Alberta gov’t is an aquifer-raping, citizen abusing, rights violating, health and education decimating, pension stealing, pathetic cowardly filthy selfish lazy greedy largely American Republican mongrel, with AER the quasi-judicial oil patch pollution and billions of dollars in profits raping enabler.
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Alberta premier heads to Ottawa asking for $2.4B in fiscal stabilization by Michelle Bellefontaine, CBC News, Dec 06, 2019
Premier Jason Kenney will head into his meeting with the prime minister on Tuesday asking for $2.4 billion in fiscal stabilization money going back five years, $700 million more than the previous request.
The amount is based on the money Kenney believes Alberta would have received had there not been a $60-per- resident cap on fiscal stabilization payments over the five years since the oil price crash started in 2014.
The original request was $1.7 billion. But the total was revised after talking to federal finance officials about the amount from 2015-16.
The Fiscal Stabilization Program is intended to help provinces when they experience a sudden drop in revenues.
Kenney told reporters at a news conference in Edmonton on Friday that he is optimistic Ottawa is listening.
“We haven’t had anything like an assurance, but we have had, let me just say, language that sounds like an openness to talk to us about this,” he said, adding that reform of the program is expected to be discussed at a meeting of federal and provincial finance ministers on Dec. 14.
Kenney is heading to Ottawa with eight cabinet ministers, nine deputy and associate deputy ministers and government caucus chair Todd Loewen, the UCP MLA for Central Peace-Notley. The ministers and their respective officials will meet with their federal counterparts.
Kenney is also meeting with federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. He will address the Canadian Club on Monday.
The premier said the efforts are aimed at raising awareness of Alberta’s economic contribution to the rest of Canada. [A lot of pollution, public health harm, and hundreds of billions of dollars in intentionally set up oil patch liabilities that Kenney, CAPP et al want to hang on Canadian taxpayers. Canada ought to give Alberta nothing until all the current liabilities are cleaned up appropriately and comppletely] ….
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Tweets posted to Facebook, Nov 27, 2019, on Alberta’s Crime Boss Kenney:
Alberta Surface Rights Group
Gordon Ross
Kenney gets his ass handed to him by public opinion on Twitter ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Jason Kenney@jkenney
One of our urgent requests to Ottawa is to help us create jobs now, while protecting the environment, by funding the clean-up of abandoned wells.
””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
David Papineau@misterpaps Replying to@jkenney
Jason urgently requests that his mom clean up his room and make his bed.
Kevin Dunbar@kevindunbar666 Replying to@jkenney
Shouldn’t the oil companies be paying for the cleanup of abandoned wells instead of leaving it for the taxpayer to pick up the tab?
Steve Manta@mantalicious
This is what that $4.7B should have been spent on instead of a corporate handout. Put people to work reclaiming and reworking suitable orphaned wells into gov’t owned geothermal
Christian Louden@seelouden Replying to@jkenney
Highly recommend you urgently request that the industry pay for abandoned well reclamation. Incredible that services for every day Albertans are cut while the province seeks help from the feds to clean up a problem so that industry doesn’t have to take responsibility. Just imagine how many more jobs we’d have if a still-profitable industry abandoned more wells so the feds could pay for clean-up!
Phil@mister_pr Replying to@jkenney
That’s a somewhat agreeable request, but who abandoned the wells and why isn’t Alberta holding them accountable for the clean up? That should be the primary source of funding. #ableg#cdnpoli
Ian MacKie@IanMacK09017816
So it’s finally out. He wants Canada to foot the bill for the disaster created by the greed of an industry that has profited by raping the land. My advice to Kenney is institute a provincial sales tax and then come talk.
#SHIFT@TheGentYYC Replying to@jkenney
Hey, so, I’m never sure: is this what Socialism means?
The Third Snowman of the Apocalypse@john_crossley_ Replying to@jkenney
Maybe, just maybe back when the wells were going in, the province should have demanded that clean-up funding be paid before any profit was taken.. That’s on AB, Jay. That high hog has a price that was not yet paid, and not anyone’s responsibility but AB’s
DaleOldman-Posts from behind Kennemy lines@dale_oldman Replying to@jkenney
This request demonstrates the failure of the #UCP government & previous AB govs to hold O&G responsible for the liabilities they create. Allowing these companies to pillage our resources & download real costs to future generations is irresponsible. #abpoli
E. Viviana Pacheco I totally thought this was a joke, but he’s serious. Omg, so I think, when Ottawa says no, he’s going have another #blocrednecois tantrum.
Gordon Ross Why doesn’t he threaten to hold his breath ‘until he explodes’ ?
E. Viviana Pacheco Gordon Ross lol…I wish he did. He’s like a little smurf and turns blue in the face!
Gordon Ross it was the cons who said no !!!!!
Gil Charest the Cons keep tripping themselves on their own hypocrisy
Pearl Doucet Caulton https://www.esaa.org/wp…/uploads/2017/03/EWN032417.pdf
Pearl Doucet Caulton I can’t find a source for the cons voting against it.
Gordon Ross Pearl Doucet Caulton I accept that the record might be hard to find now – it is interesting how we try to verify everything we post – I do it too, the dark side does not hold themselves to that standard indeed Kenney flutters with his debate tactics to anything that sounds good. Happy to hear if you can verify it but I am not spending any time on it
Pearl Doucet Caulton Gordon Ross I admin a page and have been shut down for a week at a time after being reported for posting fake news so it’s a precautionary thing.
Gordon Ross Pearl Doucet Caulton That sounds like something Trump would try. I was on another* group where one of the posters was using name Donald Trump =- but he sounded Far too smart to the The Real Donald one….
Moff Kay The rich spoilt brat problem?
Greg Foard Kenney thinking “They’re stupid enough to vote for me so they’re stupid enough to believe anything I tell them”.
Jack Hasna Greg Foard let you know we are not stupid but we will know-how to vote you out of the office in May 2023 we will not forget what you and Mla have done
You would be looking for a new job .
Deb Miskiw Imagine how many wells could be cleaned up with the taxes he slashed from the companies responsible? What an idiot!!
Gordon Ross If they are Large Oil Companies, over a certain no. employees they’re in a 50% Tax Bracket so costs of a proper cleanup is Fully Deductible so 50% can be deducted from Gross Income (I did a post below? about Esso Ogden Refinery in Calgary). Those costs are reduced by Tax Savings shared at Filing Time. So companies who close or refuse to clean up have a Friend somewhere in Government because the Responsible Companies care about their image and operate that way…
Claude Brasseur He’s a smart ass if I ever saw one… NO, good point Vala Grenier
Vala Grenier Claude Brasseur no, a smartass has at least one intelligent area.
Shane Walker Jason Kenney is a typical redneck pig who thinks that working on the oil patch is the same as politics.
But then, he’d probably be incompetent even as a roughneck.
Fuck his support base. Bunch of inbred hick fucks
Gordon Ross In the 1970s it was the Company’s Responsibility and Expense (since it’s Tax Deductible in One Year from Federal Income) to restore Mining and Oil Production lands to Original State. It’s inappropriate for you to expect the FEDs to help you handle a Provincial Matter. If you’re not up to the Job, let the Voter put in Someone who **IS. I was Born there and this is embarrassing to constantly hear your whining about how bad things are. You made them that way, no one before you did?
Lin Tan I wrote to Freeland, Harder, what his name in my riding and Shannon Phillips this morning, asking that she NOT consider this request, instead pour money into alternate energy projects that will employ people for time going forward. This is a finite project, one that should be forced upon the oil companies or at the very least if funded by our provincial taxes, rescind the pay offs to the oil companies and put it instead to this project. At least we will know that the pain everyone is experiencing is going to help our fellow Albertans and not into an off-shore holiday for yet another exec. Everyone please let the Feds know what you really think.
Gordon Ross Lin Tan I did a longer note 10 minutes ago or so on this thread about how Companies who do cleanup can deduct full costs usually at 50% if they are Large Company, so don’t need additional gifts from Government but probably just visit by Tax Department or Licencing Office? to explain why it’s a good idea for them to be SEEN to be cleaning up whatever they caused?
Jack Meyer time to get his 4.7 million back to pay
Charlie Patrick Trumb minion. Wait a minute. Lets unify that thought to ” trumbminions”
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Subject: Governments Pay The Drilling And Completion–And Now The Abandonments—While Industry Manage The Profitable Time Inbetween
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 14:15:45 -0700
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Here we go —I fully expected this from the Alberta Crime Boss—who has lacked the guts to challenge major energy producers to use funds they are diverting into buying back their own Public stock— into attacking the wells- over 90,000 idle wells that have piled up since the days of the Conservative Ralph Klein period and $100 per barrel price for crude oil!! It is still taxpayers money that industry simply feels it is entitled to because they never had the foresight to do what they promised— the weak Alberta Conservative Governments to gain entrance to public reservoirs!!
Please federal Liberals don’t fall for a trap like this!!
This would be totally unfair to producers who have set aside the needed funds to properly run their own business!! Did Kenney (the Crime Boss) tell the feds that the Alberta public also pay for the drilling and completions of conventional wells by surrendering the public’s Royalty Production back to the foreign owned oil developers?? Don’t let a Crime Boss push Ottawa and the citizens of Canada into paying for the drilling and completions of oil and gas wells—then turn around and pay for their abandonment– while Alberta excepts the lowest royalty rates in the free world!!
I place Kenney as the biggest Petro—Pussy Cat since the days the industry had the very sick Ralph Klein to make into a public hero while stealing Alberta blind!!
Imperial oil only months ago claimed in their quarterly report that they hadn’t recorded such a great quarter in 25 years—proving if industry can’t manage to both drill and then abandon their oil and gas wells —it’s no place for government dollars after having years of $100 per bbl. price for complete with the lowest Royalty Rates in the free world!! If these lushes can’t run a profitable oil business then like other countries Nationalization that has already happened in most petro states is the proper option!! To subsidize both drilling and abandonment exercises for a foreign owned energy company —-leaving them with the very profitable middle term profits I’m sure would suit many of the industry’s lushes who think Kenney has roughed-up Trudeau enough to gain this as a Petro-Pussy cat for industry!! I’m certain Trudeau will have researched industries income enough to know better than pour the Canadians public’s tax dollars in a scheme that is failing– if it can’t both drill and abandon their foreign owned leases??
I sure don’t want one penny of my tax dollars going to abandon wells that have set idle for over 30 years who owners are reporting income in the billion per quarter!!
Stewart Shields
A few of the comments to the article below:
Ron Christensen
This is rich after giving away 4.5 billion without ONE job in return. Bumbles is bananas.
Terry Lange
The money for this needs to come from the oil and gas industry. Apply a 1% tax on all revenue till this problem is solved.
Junior Robertson
Why did the Conservative governments in this province never demand that oil and gas companies clean up their messes when their wells dried up? Our oil patch had the best royalty regimes in Canada (and still do) and made tons of money. Why aren’t they being held accountable?
The real question now is to Premier Kenney: WHY SHOULD ANY TAXPAYER HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CLEANUP?
Greg Thompson IN REPLY TO Junior Robertson
Orphan Well Fund…… Look it up.
Junior Robertson IN REPLY TO Junior Robertson
Not nearly enough money in it, Greg. Why do you think Kenney is going to the feds now, cap in hand? Abandoned wells are a multi-billion dollar liability!
Rustty Stubbs
Exactly!! Makes you wonder just who is going to pay for cleaning up the mess north of Ft Mac when the time comes if they cant even clean up a well hole?….. my bet is it sure wont be big oil. The article ‘Bankruptcy for Profit’ sums it all up nicely.
Just another example of corporate welfare!!
Earl Richards
The oil corporations should clean-up their messes and not the taxpayer.
Bruce Pettigrew IN REPLY TO Greg Thompson
Greg If the Orphan Well Fund has been such a success why is there a problem that requires Government funding to address? Not ‘hating’ anyone just wondering.
Alberta seeks Ottawa’s help — and money — in cleaning up abandoned wells by Chris Varcoe, Nov 26, 2019, Calgary Herald
The Kenney government wants Ottawa’s help — and some money as well — to deal with the growing number of abandoned oil and gas wells in the province, while creating jobs in the process.
If the battling governments are truly looking for places to co-operate, this looks like a sensible place to start.
In a letter sent Monday to Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Alberta is seeking federal assistance to “accelerate the reclamation of abandoned oil and gas wells.”
Finance Minister Travis Toews spoke with his federal counterpart Monday and pressed the issue.
“Ultimately, we would like funding from the federal government to assist us as a province in cleaning up our orphan wells,” Toews told reporters at the legislature.
“It would create jobs in much-needed regions of the province.”
Toews didn’t put a price tag on the request but noted Alberta’s Orphan Well Association is facing a growing backlog of such wells that require downhole wellbore abandonment and surface reclamation, but don’t have an active owner to pick up the bill.
The tab instead falls to the non-profit association, which is funded by an annual industry levy. [And intentionally run to have vastly insufficient funds in it]
Energy Minister Sonya Savage has asked Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan to support the idea and explore the idea of federal approval of flow-through shares, or some similar tax instruments, to speed up well reclamation work.
“Flow-through shares could also be part of the solution,” Savage said in a statement. “This would help oil and gas companies to raise funds for reclamation and (it) gives additional financial flexibility to address abandoned well sites.”
Federal officials didn’t comment on the matter Monday.
The pitch to the Trudeau government is being made as the number of orphan wells have ballooned in Alberta in the wake of a gruelling five-year industry downturn.
According to the Orphan Well Association, there were 3,406 orphan wells slated for abandonment at the beginning of this month, almost a five-fold increase since March 2015.
What’s also disconcerting is the number continues to grow, even as the industry’s annual funding to the association has ramped up to $60 million this year from $15 million five years ago.
However, the failure of petroleum producers such as Lexin Resources Ltd. and Trident Exploration Corp. has added more unwanted wells to the list. Earlier this month, Calgary-based Houston Oil & Gas Ltd. went into receivership, which could potentially bump up the number of orphan wells by more than 1,000.
This isn’t the first time Ottawa has been asked to help on this issue.
In May 2017, the former provincial government announced it would lend the Orphan Well Association $235 million to accelerate reclamation work, with interest on the loan covered by a $30-million federal grant.
However, the environmental liability problem has continued to mushroom. [Which has been industry’s and Alberta’s plan all along. It has nothing to do with low prices. The bankruptcies are intentional paths to billions of dollars in profits for a few rich, while hanging taxpayers with the clean up. Alberta is a pathetic cowardly filthy selfish lazy greedy mostly American Republican mongrel, with AER it’s quasi-judicial pollution enabler]
Association chief executive Lars De Pauw said the provincial and federal financial assistance has made a difference, allowing the group to decommission about 1,200 wells between May 2017 and September 2019.
“Unfortunately, we had a lot more coming in from other insolvencies,” he said. “Companies are having a hard time out there. There are still insolvencies happening.”
There are also an estimated 93,000 inactive wells in Alberta, meaning they haven’t produced oil or natural gas for six to 12 months. According to the Alberta Energy Regulator, this count has increased by about 11,000 in the past five years due to “company insolvencies, low commodity prices and a maturing producing basin.”
What can be done to tackle this issue?
The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) has proposed provincial and federal governments support the creation of a Resource Environmental Tax Credit, structured as a flow-through share program, to help producers raise funds to close inactive wells, while offering tax benefits to investors.
It estimates the program could raise about $700 million over three years and lead to 7,000 well sites being closed, while creating 5,750 direct and indirect jobs.
“This would bring in investment money from outside,” said PSAC chief executive Gary Mar.
“The economic activity that will be created will more than offset whatever your foregone (tax) revenues are in this, because you’re keeping these companies in business.”
Proponents say it would generate employment in the sector during a difficult period and also protect the capacity of the sector to do more remediation and industry work when activity levels improve.
PSAC projects the number of wells drilled in Western Canada will fall by 10 per cent next year.
“A lot of these people in the oilpatch on the services side have effectively thrown in the towel … and this work has to be done,” said Ian Thomson, president of Blade Energy Services, which provides well-decommissioning services.
“Having skilled personnel in place is of the utmost importance, and having steady work is the key to that.”
The idea of Ottawa putting money towards cleaning up orphan wells also has the support of some environmentalists, although they want to see more details on how the flow-through shares would work.
“It shouldn’t be done in a way that ends up being a subsidy for oil and gas,” said Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist for Greenpeace Canada.
The bottom line is Alberta has a growing problem with orphan wells. The federal government is looking to build bridges in Western Canada.
Finding common ground on issues such as cleaning up the environment and creating jobs during tough economic times seems like a good place for both governments to start working together.
Refer also to:
Letter to the Editor of Edmonton Journal
Re. “Alberta needed wake-up call to take climate risks seriously,” Elise Stolte, June 3
Elise Stolte’s article in the June 3 edition of the Edmonton Journal was intelligent, insightful and 100-per-cent accurate, unfortunately.
It makes one wonder how many more orphan wells we can expect with the “less red tape,” and “open for business policy” of our new provincial government?
Bill Hamre, Edmonton
Temporary cuts can turn out to be permanent Letter to the Editor, Nov 27, 2019.
As a teacher in the Klein era when he gave huge advantages to Big Oil, we as a group were coerced into a five per cent salary cut. Sadly, at the same time he was giving away our resources to foreign companies at bargain-store prices. [Kenney’s giving them away for much less, while also giving $ billions in donations (tax cuts) to billion dollar profit raping companies, with Steve Allen no where in sight except watching him give more donations of near a million dollars to a law firm for legal advice to pretend to round up a few broom flying witches.]
The problem is that for many of us it was not a short-term sacrifice. We were assured that it was short-term pain for long-term gain and we would be compensated for our co-operation in this temporary cut. I and many of my friends retired under this “helpful” sacrifice period and as a result our pensions (based on the last three years of salary) have been reduced by five per cent forever. I cannot help but think what that money might have done to support me in old age.
Those of you who are listening to our current premier, take care. He and the Legislature voted themselves a five per cent cut. FYI, they are still the highest-paid provincial representatives in Canada.
I am certain this will not end in a positive way.
Joan Haig, Lethbridge
Kenney’s $4.5 billion in corporate tax cuts obviously not enough to feed the greed.
Hanky Panky hits anti-Alberta Inquiry Commissioner Steve Allen: Why give $905K (more than 1/3 the entire budget) to Dentons Canada, law firm where Allen’s son is partner, Steve Harper works and Alberta Justice Minister Schweitzer was partner. Why such expensive advice to catch some witches flying on brooms made with a few foreign parts? IF STEVE ALLEN HAD ANY INTEGRITY AND ETHICS, HE’D GIVE HIS ENTIRE WITCH-HUNTING BUDGET TO THE ORPHAN WELL CLUB.
