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Alberta

‘Canada should be bold and more intentional…and respond to a world thirsty for more Canadian-made energy, food and critical minerals’

Published

6 months ago

4 minute read

From the Canadian Energy Centre

By Deborah Jaremko

Bare minimum amendments to Impact Assessment Act ‘do little’ to address Supreme Court’s concerns

One year ago, the Supreme Court of Canada found the federal government’s law to assess major projects like pipelines and highways breaks the rules of the Canadian constitution.

There’s a good chance it still does, despite amendments enacted this spring.

Lawyers with firms including Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Bennett Jones and Fasken have warned  that Ottawa’s changes to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) leave it open to further constitutional challenges.

One could come from Alberta as soon as November 1, following a four-week deadline set by Premier Danielle Smith for the federal government to address the province’s concerns.

“I don’t think that the amendments have responded adequately to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision,” says Brad Gilmour, a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt who co-argued Alberta’s successful 2023 reference case to the Supreme Court.

The governments of Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Manitoba supported Alberta’s case, arguing that the IAA had exceeded federal jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court largely agreed, while allowing that there is a place for federal assessment of major projects.

“The court had some significant concerns about federal overreach into areas of provincial jurisdiction, and I think that the amendments have done really little to address that broad concern,” Gilmour says.

“They’ve made very minor changes to the sections that the courts found to be unconstitutional, and the wording they use lacks clarity and lacks certainty.”

Components of the IAA that the Supreme Court found unconstitutional include the decision that starts the process – whether a project requires a federal impact assessment and the decision at its conclusion – whether or not a project should receive final approval to proceed.

“It appears the government has done the minimum possible to address the Supreme Court’s concerns, adding qualifiers to its areas of authority, but failing to correct the legislation’s negative impacts on the pace, cost and efficiency of project approvals,” wrote the Business Council of Canada’s Michael Gullo and Heather Exner-Pirot.

“Canada can’t wait and should be bold and more intentional in its effort to grow market share and respond to a world thirsty for more Canadian-made energy, food and critical minerals.”

According to Gullo and Exner-Pirot, the negative impact of the IAA legislation, which came into effect in 2019, can be seen in Canada’s national inventory of major resource projects.

In 2015, there were 88 energy projects completed with a value of $53 billion. In 2023, that figure halved to 56 completed projects with a value of $26 billion.

Alberta’s government says it has “made repeated requests” for the federal government to consult with the province on the amendments, to no effect.

“Alberta is not taking their foot off the pedal in pushing back,” Exner-Pirot told CEC.

“Our country’s energy and natural resources cannot be developed in a timely and economic manner under the current federal regulatory regime. This is affecting not only the economy, but also our security and our efforts to move to lower emitting energy sources.”

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Alberta

Hours after Liberal election win, Alberta Prosperity Project drumming up interest in referendum

Published on April 29, 2025

By

News release from the Alberta Prosperity Project

Carney’s In. Now what?

You’ve been paying attention. You understand this is really bad. Worse than that, it’s dangerous. The country has somehow chosen several more years of a decade-long Trudeau Travesty…on steroids. Because this new Prime Minister has a three digit IQ, deep and questionable connections and a momentum to accelerate the further dis-integration of a nation we all once proudly belonged to. It’s untrue to say the country is dying. But it’s also not a stretch to say it’s on life support.

The era of Carney Carnage is here. While every province will experience it, there’s no secret he’s placed an extra big bulls-eye on Alberta.

It’s not personal, it’s financial.

His plan includes continuing to limit three of Alberta’s most prosperous sectors: energy, agriculture and, by extension, innovation. To acknowledge this requires we abandon our sense of romanticized national nostalgia. Nostalgia is a trap that prevents us from assessing the reality we exist in.

For instance, GDP is considered the financial heartbeat of a country. Over the past decade of Liberal Leadership, the national GDP has been an abysmal 1.1%. By relatable comparison, Mexico was 4%, the UK was 6%, Australia had 8% growth and the US was a whopping 19%.

That’s great information for an economist, but what does it mean to your pay cheque?

The everyday impact on the average Albertan —say, a teacher or mechanic— of 10 long years of 1% GDP means rent’s up at least 25%, a trip to the grocery store always stings, and driving an older car is the norm because an upgrade is out of reach. Does this sound like your reality?

We aren’t starving, but we’re not thriving, either.

Does this make sense for 4.5 million people living with the third most abundant energy deposits in the world? There’s an absurdity to the situation Albertans find themselves in. It’s akin to being chronically dehydrated while having a fresh water spring in the backyard.

The life you’ve invested for, the future you believed was ahead, isn’t happening.

If Alberta stays on this path.

So what can you, as an Albertan, do about it?

This Fall, we’ll be provided an opportunity. A life raft in the form of a referendum. It requires curiosity, imagination and courage to step into it, but the option will be there — a once in a lifetime shot at prosperity for you and your family: Alberta Sovereignty.

A successful bid means Albertans can finally paddle out of the perilous economic current that’s battered us for ten long years.

Alberta has the resources, talent and spirit of collaboration to create a prosperous future for our families and communities.
If you want your vote to finally mean something, if you feel you deserve more from your pay-cheque, grocery store visits and  need greater control over your family’s future, register your intent to sign YES to sovereignty now.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Click here to see all upcoming APP events.

WHAT CAN ALBERTANS DO?

Register Your Intent To Vote “YES”
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Alberta

New Alberta Election Act bans electronic vote counting machines, lowers threshold for recalls and petitions

Published on April 29, 2025

By

Alberta’s government is introducing changes to protect democracy, deliver fair and open elections and increase confidence in every vote cast.

Voting gives Albertans a voice in shaping the future of our province. Direct democracy processes like referendums, recall and citizen initiative petitions provide further opportunities for Albertans to be heard and express their views. The proposed Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, would make Alberta’s elections and other democratic processes more open, secure and accessible.

“I believe that democracy thrives when people trust the process. These changes would make elections at every level in Alberta more accessible and transparent while protecting their integrity, ensuring confidence in the outcomes. We are also creating more opportunities for Albertans to be involved in direct democracy and to have their say on issues that matter to them.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

Fair and free elections are the foundation of democracy, and Alberta’s government is taking action to protect them. The proposed changes include:

  • Banning the use of electronic tabulators and other automated voting machines, requiring all ballots to be counted by hand to protect election integrity.
  • Eliminating vouching at voting stations to strengthen identification and verification processes.
  • Requiring unofficial vote counts to be completed within 12 hours of polls closing to provide timely, reliable results.
  • Voters being required to cast their ballot in their constituency of residence or by requesting a special ballot.
  • Expanding access to special ballots, allowing any voter to request one without needing to provide a reason while protecting integrity by requiring voters to personally request their special ballot (with exceptions for those needing assistance due to a disability).
  • Updating the Recall Act to make it easier for Albertans to hold elected officials accountable by lowering the signature threshold and extending the timeframe to collect signatures.
  • Improving the Citizen Initiative Act process by setting the threshold for all successful petitions at 10 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the last general election.

“Albertans rightly expect their government to make sure democratic processes are fair and transparent with accurate and timely results. These proposed amendments would deliver on my mandate to review and make changes to strengthen public trust in the integrity of our elections.”

Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice and Attorney General

Additional amendments under the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 would:

  • Allow corporate and union contributions for provincial elections while maintaining transparency and accountability through existing financial disclosure requirements.
  • Improve access to voting for First Nations and Métis Settlements during referendums and Senate elections.
  • Enhance emergency response provisions for voting disruptions during referendums and Senate elections.

These changes would help ensure that Alberta’s democratic processes are open, secure, and reflective of the will of Albertans, while creating new opportunities for greater public participation.

Quick facts

  • The Election Act governs the process for provincial elections, by-elections and plebiscites in Alberta and creates the office of the chief electoral officer, the head of Elections Alberta.
  • The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act governs the financing of provincial elections, Senate elections and referendums, including rules for registered political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants and third parties.
  • The Alberta Senate Election Act governs the process for Senate elections in Alberta.
  • The Referendum Act governs the process for referendums in Alberta.
  • The Recall Act outlines the process for Albertans to initiate the recall of an elected MLA.
  • The Citizen Initiative Act allows eligible voters in Alberta to propose legislative or policy initiatives, constitutional referendum questions and establishes rules for advertising and spending.
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