Of Ostriches and Meerkats
Or, Kraken down on the Just Transition
One of my favorite Alberta news stories of 2022 was the herd of ostriches that got loose in Taber and were chased down by the local RCMP.
The Smith government has a lot in common with the ostriches - they just want to be free, but feel oppressed by the federal government. The government has also adopted a distinctively ostrich-like head-in-the-sand approach to the looming energy transition.
The Trudeau government has signaled that it plans to introduce legislation supporting workers through a “just transition” toward a lower-emissions economy, and the Smith government has gone on the warpath to oppose it, sight unseen.
The key issue, of course, is that the Smith government sees this as a signal that the federal government plans to "shut down” the oil and gas industry. Environment Minister Sonya Savage went on Rosemary Barton’s show today to take issue with the legislation, and even the term: “It means phasing out fossil fuels immediately and leaving them in the ground … More than that, it means restructuring societies and economies and redistributing wealth.”
With the provincial election looming, it’s convenient for the Smith government to have an external enemy to fight. Smith is positioning herself as the only political leader who can “stand up” to Ottawa’s nefarious plans to victimize Alberta.
But here’s the thing: pretty much every petroleum producing country (except Russia) is getting ready for a transition. Even the Saudis are going big into solar. If Ottawa has money to put into preparing Alberta’s workers for a transition, why say no? (I know, I know, politics).
I know this is a naive wish, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a government that was less ostrich, and more meerkat?
Ideally, we want governments to be like sentinel meerkats — scanning the horizon for threats while we go about our business.
A meerkat government might look at the rise of the new Kraken variant and try to do something about the truly abysmal rate of booster vaccination in the province (graphic from Adam Toy’s twitter feed, with thanks).
And a meerkat government would certainly be willing to confront the reality of the coming energy transition, and partner with the federal government to help ease it.
Instead, we get government by ostrich. A problem ignored is a problem that just doesn’t exist.
Excellent piece Lisa 👏 Goodness let’s move into the 21st century as opposed to chasing “ boogey men” again. Someone is obviously not aware or caring that the transition in the O & G sector has been going on for sometime… through automation and also through www.ironandearth.org … Iron & Earth is a tradesman/worker-led not-for-profit who tired of the boom and busts of the oil sector in the mid 2000’s
Even Paul MacLauchlin president of RMA ( Rural Municipality of AB) sees how some may see this as a threat, however he is looking at it on a positive note, seeing the changes and how they will benefit the workforce.
👏 so let’s be adults and leave the ego’s & ideologies at the door and look at this in a positive move and how it will benefit our workers. We need more meerkats !!
Virginia coal miners were left without new skills when the economy left coal behind. It is helpful that the feds are looking at a transition. Much of the economy will leave oil & gas behind. Alberta conservatives have had 50 years to diversify Alberta’s economy and failed to get it done. It’s like the automobile replacing horses for transportation in 1930. Danielle Smith wants to make blacksmiths great again.