Happy New Year to everyone but—

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Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00

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Happy New Year to everyone but— r1 Oil and gas lobbyists in Alberta had a wish list to change environmental policy — with access to public officials behind closed doors. ... BECOME A MEMBER | SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER Seven hundred and ninety-nine days. That’s how long it took for the Alberta government to respond to a simple request for information.

In the summer of 2020, I was trying to figure out what prompted the Alberta Energy Regulator to unilaterally suspend dozens of environmental and economic rules imposed on oil and gas companies — without any public consultations or formal review.

Normally, there’s a paper trail for any major regulatory decision. At least, there should be a paper trail for how decisions are made in a country that — according to industry — has the “most stringent environmental regulations in the world.”

But in this case, many decisions were mysteriously made behind closed doors.

Alberta’s energy ministry kept extending deadlines for my request, complaining that it was understaffed. When I later called to ask for an update, I was told that the ministry had terminated the contract of the person working on the file.

Alberta Energy finally released the records this fall — more than two years after my request — but only after the province’s information and privacy watchdog concluded the government was breaking the law.

This week, after many months of digging, my colleagues Carl Meyer and Drew Anderson published an investigation that reveals some alarming details about how the provincial government made some big decisions.

Here’s what we now know: the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, a lobbying giant, convened a committee composed of senior oil executives, a political operative from the United Conservative Party government and senior public servants. The oil companies set the agenda and drove the conversation around an initial list of 132 items — a list that appeared to expand as time went on.
Directly affected First Nations weren’t invited to the meetings and the public was kept entirely in the dark about what the committee was doing.

Some of the lobbyist requests were part of what one former government official called a longstanding 20-year “wish list” of items Alberta’s oil and gas industry repeatedly tried to push through. It mostly failed, until the COVID-19 emergency provided a crack to put its foot in.

Based on what we could confirm, the Alberta government agreed to half of the 132 requests, temporarily rolling back oversight for everything from wetland protections to oilsands monitoring to tailings ponds.

Carl and Drew spent countless days and nights tracking down and contacting every one of the roughly 50 public servants and staffers whose names were on the list of meetings. None wanted to talk at length about what they discussed out of public view.

Meantime, the Alberta government was using millions of dollars of taxpayer money to communicate a very different message about the oil and gas industry through its infamous “war room,” which is spreading misinformation and propaganda about fossil fuels and downplaying the industry’s role in causing the climate crisis.

Carl and Drew’s investigation is about both what the government did — make wish list items come true — as well as what it delayed as a result of its private arrangement with the industry lobbyists.

The level of access, coordination and organization of this sophisticated operation, and the apparent attempt to keep it all secret, is unprecedented.

As Carl and Drew’s story makes clear, giving our reporters the silent treatment isn’t going to stop The Narwhal from uncovering vital information the public deserves to know. Stay tuned for more in-depth reporting, investigations and revelations in 2023.

Take care and Happy New Year to everyone … except for government officials who try to hide documents.

Mike De Souza
Managing editor
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

P.S. Our team of journalists is taking a break for the holidays. We’ll be back to breaking stories and sending our regular weekly newsletter the first week of January. From our pod to yours, we hope you have a restful and fulfilling wrap to 2022.

Looking out for biodiversity

“Today, biodiversity is shrinking faster than at any other point in human history. Numerous species have already been erased from the planet and one million more are at risk of extinction,” writes B.C. biodiversity reporter Ainslie Cruickshank.

Fresh off a trip to Montreal, Ainslie breaks down exactly what happened at the United Nations biodiversity conference. The short version: 196 countries agreed on targets to curb what scientists are calling Earth’s sixth mass extinction — though the framework is less ambitious than what many had hoped.

Global pledges have been made to preserve 30 per cent of land and waters by 2030 and phase out at least $500 billion of subsidies that are destroying the natural world.

But with historically poor track records of meaningfully protecting biodiversity, will governments follow through on their promises this time?

Catch up on all our COP15 coverage here, and keep your eyes peeled for follow-up reporting in the new year keeping Canada in check on its targets.
BECOME A NARWHAL

Narwhal spotted in the wild

Even -37 C with windchill didn’t stop this Narwhal-loving cyclist from hitting the road this week.

Naomi, a Narwhal fan who lives near Camrose, snapped a photo of this brave soul rocking our swag while on a mission to the local co-op.

We’re a little sad we weren’t there to say hello. So, if that’s you, drop us a note!

(We’re also obligated to point to editor-in-chief Emma Gilchrist’s Twitter rant thread explaining that, actually, Alberta powder isn’t as bad as the snow that has shut down B.C.)

Have you been rocking Narwhal swag with pride out in ice-cold conditions? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. your photos and your name and we may feature you in future newsletters or on social media.

Want a toque? Become a member!

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