Alberta Government Lays Out Welcome Mat for Australian Coal Mining Interests – The Energy Mix
The Tyee adds that while ordinary Albertans were not
consulted, the Kenney government did meet with the Coal Association of
Canada’s Robin Campbell, a former Progressive Conservative MLA and
provincial environment minister who “actively lobbied for the Coal
Policy’s demise on behalf of his Australian clients.”
consulted, the Kenney government did meet with the Coal Association of
Canada’s Robin Campbell, a former Progressive Conservative MLA and
provincial environment minister who “actively lobbied for the Coal
Policy’s demise on behalf of his Australian clients.”
Further sweetening the pot, the province “has sent letters
of support to Australian mining speculators offering them less red tape
and lower corporate taxes,” along with an expedited permitting process.
The latter will be enabled by the fact that it “has staffed the Alberta
Energy Regulator, which will review each coal mining project, with
people whose pasts are aligned with resource extracting corporations.”
One such person is “self-described ‘political activist’
John Weissenberger, who worked on Jason Kenney’s election campaign,”
adds The Tyee.