The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers greeted the United Conservative Party’s Apr. 16 election victory in Alberta by saying it is “encouraged by Premier-elect Jason Kenney’s commitment to the oil and natural gas industry.”
At this writing, the UCP was leading in or had won 63 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The incumbent National Democratic Party, led by Premier Rachel Notley, had won the remaining 24 seats.
Notley’s government in 2015 introduced a carbon tax and cap on greenhouse-gas emissions from oil sands work in hope of winning support for pipelines needed to accommodate Alberta’s growing production of bitumen. But pipeline construction and expansion projects have not progressed, and consequently depressed bitumen prices have hurt oil-field investment and damaged the province’s economy (OGJ Online, Mar. 20, 2019).
“During its campaign, the UCP committed to making regulatory and economic and fiscal policy reforms aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of Alberta’s oil and natural gas sector,” the CAPP said.
“Among its many commitments, the UCP said it will decrease the corporate tax rate to 8% from 12%, develop a robust natural gas strategy, reduce regulatory red tape, increase regulatory efficiencies, and complete a review of the Alberta Energy Regulator within the first 180 days. The UCP has also pledged to spend up to $30 million to combat misleading news reports about the industry and to create a ‘war room’ to examine foreign-funded campaigns aimed at discrediting the province’s oil and natural gas sector.”
