Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate agenda is suddenly very lonely, all by itself on the top of North America.
And Canada’s economy is in grave danger.
Donald Trump, acting like he’s already installed as president, plans to blow up every major element of the Biden-era climate plan.
He will appoint deregulation zealot Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, calling him a “true fighter for America First policies” who “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”
The only feeble consolation for an environmentalist is that Trump likes clean air and water.
The effect on Canadian competitiveness, if that’s not an oxymoron, is likely to be disastrous. Our goods will rise in relative price. We will lose even more investment.
If Trump succeeds in sharply raising oil and gas production — his core goal — the need for Canada’s most important export will fall, and Trump would be more likely to impose a tariff on energy.
At home, resistance to federal policy is bolder and more determined than ever, especially in Alberta.
The recent imposition of an emissions cap on oil and gas infuriated Premier Danielle Smith. She called it a “deranged vendetta” against the province and the industry.
Alberta is planning serious retaliation that could go far beyond anything we’ve seen before.
There will be a Sovereignty Act motion within weeks, government sources say. The main goal will be to make it “nearly impossible” for the cap to be enforced against Alberta.
Even more provocative to the feds, the action will further the UCP’s goal of doubling oil production. It will focus on tech-based emission improvements rather than regulations that “strangle” the economy.
It sounds like an alternate climate plan that Smith will impose in place of Ottawa’s.
Smith’s rhetoric has escalated from routine exasperation to outright defiance. There’s no longer any talk of compromise and agreement. This is open political and economic warfare.
The mood from official Ottawa is starting to look very weird. Ministers are showing early signs of straying outside federal policy.
The most bizarre example is Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s recent comments to a Ukrainian group in Edmonton, reported by energetic independent journalist Jeremy Appel in his substack, The Orchard.
To loud applause, Freeland said Russian oil is funding the war against Ukraine. She promised to help “eliminate” it from world markets.
“I want to tell you, and this is the first room where I’ll be talking about this, the next initiative that Canada will be pushing ahead, and that is getting tougher with Russian oil.
“Canada as an energy power, Alberta as an energy power, have a real voice and a real role to play in making it possible for us and the G7 to really push Russian oil out of the global market.”
The G7 countries have taken several actions against Russian oil, from sanctioning Russian companies to banning oil imports.
But how does Canada get big and influential in this campaign? The most obvious way is to replace Russian oil with increased sales from the oilsands.
Freeland didn’t actually say that, but she sure implied it. Anything for a vote these days.
Governments across the Western world are facing voters angry about government climate action. Germany’s governing coalition recently collapsed over high energy prices, net-zero targets and other aggressive government policies.
Trump is about to dispose of all such actions, radically.
The Liberal response? They’re running ads on the carbon tax, focusing heavily on the rebates.
Our government brags about paying us for paying a tax, with not a word about the new economic threats from Trump.
The Liberals have turned us into the political kindergarten of North America.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald
X: @DonBraid