Juno News - Alberta gears up to fight federal censorship

00:00:00.000 The federal government has found a new way to target Canada's best economic driver.

00:00:04.940 You guessed it, Ottawa now wants to censor oil and gas companies.

00:00:09.180 The new measure is designed to ensure that oil and gas companies can't talk about their

00:00:13.580 environmental achievements unless it's proven against some undefined standard.

00:00:18.020 Simply put, oil and gas won't be able to defend themselves against relentless attacks

00:00:22.500 from the Liberals and the NDP.

00:00:24.380 It's the latest low blow from a government that isn't interested in defending its record

00:00:28.120 or debating its opponents, but rather relies on the authoritarian adage of silencing its

00:00:33.500 detractors.

00:00:34.500 I'm Rachel Emanuel and this is the Alberta Roundup.

00:00:46.580 Okay everyone, taking a look at our first story here.

00:00:50.880 The Alberta government is considering employing its Sovereignty Act to stop what it's calling

00:00:55.340 a gag order on oil companies talking about their environmental achievements.

00:00:59.920 The federal government's proposed Bill C-59, which is currently awaiting Senate approval,

00:01:04.400 would force oil companies talking about their environmental achievements to prove their words

00:01:09.980 using an undefined, quote, internationally recognized methodology.

00:01:14.620 Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Ministers Rebecca Schultz said the bill would pave the way

00:01:19.280 for environmental activists to sue oil and gas companies over so-called, quote,

00:01:23.980 misleading environmental benefits.

00:01:26.220 In a statement, she said, quote,

00:01:27.800 C-59, put plain and simply, is an undemocratic gag order.

00:01:32.420 It must be stopped.

00:01:33.480 As the province considers all of its legal options available to stop this legislation,

00:01:38.020 Schultz said Alberta has not ruled out utilizing the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act.

00:01:43.340 I'm sure you guys remember that was Alberta Premier Daniel Smith's flagship piece of legislation

00:01:47.240 after being elected, which would bar federal legislation deemed harmful to the province.

00:01:52.420 Moving into our next story here, I'm sure you guys will all be relieved to learn that the Bank of Canada

00:01:56.520 has finally lowered interest rates, and just one day after Alberta Premier Daniel Smith encouraged them to do so.

00:02:03.400 At an unrelated press conference on Tuesday, the Premier encouraged the Bank of Canada to lower interest rates

00:02:08.100 while touting her government's actions on affordability.

00:02:11.220 Take a listen.

00:02:11.680 We're prepared to do more.

00:02:13.120 What we're happy to see is that the level of year-over-year increases in inflation are moderating.

00:02:19.660 When we were putting these measures in, you have to remember,

00:02:21.560 we were looking at 7% to 8% annual inflation rates.

00:02:24.500 We're now down in the band where even the Bank of Canada is talking about reducing rates,

00:02:29.480 and I hope they do, because that is the biggest cost that people are seeing,

00:02:33.160 is when they go to renew their mortgage,

00:02:34.640 and they're seeing rates that are double what they used to have on,

00:02:37.760 that is ending up doubling their mortgage payment.

00:02:39.960 When landlords are going to renew their mortgages,

00:02:43.240 and they see a doubling in the cost,

00:02:45.280 they're passing that on in the form of rent increases.

00:02:48.620 And so we're very hopeful that we'll see the Bank of Canada start moving in the other direction.

00:02:53.620 The bank announced a 0.25% interest rate cut on Wednesday,

00:02:57.940 as it continues to try to stabilize markets and keep inflation in check.

00:03:01.300 The decision to reduce interest points by a quarter of a percentage points

00:03:04.660 makes the Bank of Canada the first G7 bank to begin easing its cycle.

00:03:09.320 Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem dropped the benchmark overnight rate to 4.75% on Wednesday,

00:03:15.820 a decision that has been widely anticipated by economists for some time now.

00:03:19.580 In other news, the city of Calgary has issued an Alberta emergency alert

00:03:22.620 due to a water break that has significantly impacted Calgarians' water use.

00:03:27.440 Outdoor water use is currently not permitted in Calgary,

00:03:29.920 and Calgarians have been asked not to shower, take baths, or run dishwashers.

00:03:34.480 Alberta Health Services has also issued a boil advisory

00:03:37.260 for all residents in the Calgary community of Bowness.

00:03:40.400 We have a clip of what that water break looked like in Calgary.

00:03:43.520 Take a look.

00:03:44.020 It's a nice park here in Calgary.

00:03:53.620 A lot of East City employee to be found.

00:04:03.660 That water made dripping. 0.94

00:04:06.380 In an update as of Friday morning, the city of Calgary said that it was at risk of running out of water

00:04:29.600 and is asking residents to use 25% less water than they did on Thursday.

00:04:35.160 I'm currently out of the province.

00:04:36.220 I'm an Ontario visiting family, but this is happening in Northwest Calgary, right where I was living.

00:04:40.220 I'm so grateful not to be here for this.

00:04:42.680 Very annoying.

00:04:43.540 We were being warned of a drought.

00:04:44.800 I'm sure you guys remember that.

00:04:45.700 Everyone was like, oh, we have to conserve water for this drought.

00:04:47.600 And then it rained and rained and rained and lots of snow as well.

00:04:50.340 Finally, the water levels were back up.

00:04:51.660 And now this massive water break.

00:04:53.280 The city of Calgary hasn't even identified what's caused this catastrophe yet.

00:04:56.680 So it looks like it might take some time to manage.

00:04:58.840 But certainly my thoughts with the people of Calgary, what an absolute irritation to not be able to shower even.

00:05:04.300 And for some people, not even having fresh drinking water at their homes anymore.

00:05:07.340 Moving into our controversy of the week.

00:05:09.220 This one's from yours truly over at True North.

00:05:12.000 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has appointed a former scandal-plagued Premier to an Alberta investment agency.

00:05:19.020 Former Alberta Premier Alison Redford was appointed to the Provincial Investment Attraction Agency this week.

00:05:25.880 I'm sure you all know this even better than me.

00:05:28.020 Redford is best known for her short and scandal-plagued tenure as Alberta's Premier in the early 2010s.

00:05:34.120 She was appointed to the Invest Alberta Corporation, which expedites business operations, fosters collaboration, and, quote,

00:05:41.320 goes the extra mile to ensure long-term success for businesses, according to its website.

00:05:45.520 Redford resigned in March 2014 after just three years as Premier, following a series of controversies.

00:05:52.020 The most infamous incident, now dubbed the Sky Palace, involved the Premier spending millions of dollars of taxpayers' money

00:05:59.140 to renovate the top suite of the Queen Elizabeth building at the Alberta legislature to live in with her daughter.

00:06:05.480 She would also book every seat on the government planes, but then travel with only one or two close members,

00:06:11.600 ensuring that the remaining seats stayed empty and that she didn't have to travel with anyone else.

00:06:16.420 Redford was also forced to reimburse $45,000 for a trip to South Africa to attend Nelson Mandela's funeral,

00:06:23.120 and she eventually acknowledged that she used the government planes to fly her daughter's friends around

00:06:28.040 and repay the equivalent airfare of $3,100.

00:06:32.220 The former Premier is replacing Laura Daniels on the board.

00:06:35.760 She will be compensated for this position.

00:06:37.420 It's not immediately clear what that compensation will be.

00:06:40.280 Compensation on the board ranges from $30,000 to as low as $4,000, according to 2021 information,

00:06:48.400 which is the last publicly available data.

00:06:50.540 And finally, moving into what we're watching in the weeks to come,

00:06:52.980 it would appear that nothing is off the table for the NDP,

00:06:56.020 and they're all out crusade against Alberta's oil and gas industry.

00:06:59.640 NDP MPs told the media that they are concocting a plan to hold not just big oil and gas accountable

00:07:05.300 for allegedly burning the planet, but also the conservative and liberal parties for apparently allowing it.

00:07:11.040 They grilled oil and gas executives in a House of Commons committee meeting this week,

00:07:14.640 but the NDP said they also want the world to compare oil and gas producers to the tobacco industry

00:07:20.120 so they can ban them from advertising.

00:07:22.720 Laurel Collins, the NDP critic for the environment and climate change,

00:07:25.780 and Charlie Angus, the party's natural resource critic,

00:07:28.320 said during a press conference this week that the hearing would be an opportunity

00:07:31.920 to show Canadians how producing energy was, quote, making people sick.

00:07:36.320 Before entering the committee hearing, Angus said, quote,

00:07:38.700 this is the big tobacco moment for oil and gas.

00:07:41.320 We have to hold these companies accountable.

00:07:43.280 They are not good corporate citizens.

00:07:45.460 They are not attempting to reduce emissions,

00:07:47.180 and they're saying we will continue to make profits.

00:07:50.000 We will continue to burn your children's future. 0.59

00:07:52.480 Angus also took the opportunity to take aim at Alberta Premier Daniel Smith.

00:07:55.860 Take a listen.

00:07:56.340 In fact, we heard yesterday their spokesperson, Daniel Smith,

00:08:00.440 said she wants to double production in the tar sands.

00:08:04.000 This has got to be dealt with.

00:08:06.320 This is why we support the UN call to end oil and gas advertising.

00:08:12.280 It is a threat to human health.

00:08:14.140 This is the big tobacco moment for oil and gas.

00:08:16.820 We have to hold these companies accountable.

00:08:18.980 They are not good corporate citizens.

00:08:20.680 They are not attempting to reduce emissions,

00:08:22.640 and they're saying we will continue to make profits.

00:08:24.900 We will continue to burn your children's future. 0.59

00:08:27.400 But hey, if you want us to lower emissions, you pay for the cost.

00:08:31.460 No, those days are done.

00:08:33.220 And finally, moving into our weekly comment roundup,

00:08:35.120 these are taken from my episodes two weeks ago.

00:08:37.060 I did miss last week, Saturday.

00:08:38.360 I was away about people starting fires in Alberta

00:08:41.500 and them often turning into large forest fires.

00:08:44.400 User King Robbie said eco-terrorism,

00:08:47.060 and user Angel Rose said the government should pass a law,

00:08:50.020 life sentence for starting forest fires.

00:08:52.140 Unfortunately, the legal system falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government,

00:08:56.360 and they certainly don't seem interested in penalizing anyone who commits actual crimes.

00:09:00.840 Only if you say the wrong thing, then you might find yourself in jail.

00:09:04.320 All right, everyone, that's all we have time for today.

00:09:05.880 As always, please like this video and subscribe to True North

00:09:08.380 so you don't miss any of our content.

00:09:10.520 If you want to support our work, you can do that over at donate.tnc.news.

00:09:14.340 I hope that you guys have a great rest of your week.

00:09:16.220 I'll see you next week. God bless.

00:09:22.140 God bless.

Juno News - June 08, 2024

Alberta gears up to fight federal censorship

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