The province’s attorney general filed a bizarre lawsuit Monday to stop power companies – including utilities owned or partially owned by Alberta’s two largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton – from backing out of power contracts made less profitable by Alberta’s increased carbon costs.
The lawsuit also strangely targets its own regulatory agency, the Alberta Utilities Commission, for “unlawfully” agreeing to terms in 2000 that allowed termination of so-called Power Purchase Arrangements “if a change in law renders the PPA unprofitable, or more unprofitable.”
Strangely, Rachel Notley’s NDP government claims it wasn’t aware of the out clause until recently.
An African or European PPA?
Watch: Prentice asked Notley about the cost of ending PPAs and she deflected with her typical Alberta bashing junk. pic.twitter.com/EcQLcDdKoH
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) July 27, 2016
Yeah that claim to not know about the clause has me baffled. I remember Red Rachel discussing it during the debate and how she kinda went off the rails as she discussed it. Her debate performance convinced me that she was no suitable as a premier.
I personally guaranF-ENt that the supreme court of Canada will bend over backwards to further the demise of actual freedom, and help the boot stamping on a human face continue — forever. They would rule against Harper on this one, but for Notely, Trudeau, McGuinty the ruling for has already been decided. The cancer of totalitarianism/Marx/progressivism/social justice/whatever new speak is the word of today, has long since killed every law college on the planet. So any judge living today… You can all fill in the rest.
To progressives like Rachel, earning “social licence” justifies the means. “Social licence” is whatever the progressive narrative happens to be this week. It used to be called the “public good” and under that banner, throughout history, the most horrendous crimes including mass murder have been justified. The beauty of “Social Licence” is that it sounds modern and trendy at political cocktail parties where only progressives get in the door. A test of whether or not a “conservative” is actually a progressive is confirmed by using that expression. Being anti-fossil fuel earns social licence even though 9 out of 10 humans couldn’t exist on the planet without it.
So it was a secret clause yet Red Rachel was fully aware of it during the campaign. There is one basic problem with communists. They tell lies altogether too freely. Do the commies really expect the power companies to absorb the carbon tax? Is anyone that stupid? Apparently so.
The other weird thing about this lawsuit was it was announced by the fatty Health Minister. As a lawyer, was Red Rachel too embarrassed to announce a lawsuit she knew to be premised on a lie. The fatty Health Minister can’t be disbarred.
The Stelmach Progressive Conservative Alberta Government set the legal precedent by scrapping contracts with the energy sector.
It should be no surprise that the energy sector wants to do the same with the Alberta Government.
What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Ironically, one of the core reasons that people allow themselves to be governed is that governments are supposed to ensure that people cleave to their contract agreements.
Bounders all. Breaking contracts leads to poor economies.
When governments do it, they create a climate change in commerce that raises risk profile and only spirals downward.
Notley makes me sick. So does Nenshi.
What the hell happened to Alberta?
“Alberta’s increased carbon costs.” So, they’d be artificial costs entirely levied by the government… In other words, the contracts have a tax loophole…
Exactly. Red Rachel tried to scam billions from business but got caught because she was too stupid to read the contracts. Now she got caught and is pissed. It is amazing how business wouldn’t sign a contract that allowed the government to tax them into bankruptcy. Amazing how dishonest the communists are.
The stupidity of this is breathtaking. They knew all along that the agreement was in place. And if they didn’t, they are incompetent. This is nothing more than an attempt by the NDP to not look quite as stupid as they really are. The irony though is that it makes them look even dumber.
The action (if any) that the Notley government MIGHT have is simply that the law was not enacted properly. However, the agreement between the government of the day and the companies would still stand given that it was agreed to by the parties. The logical outcome of all of this is simply that even IF the Notley government won on the thin administrative law concept, the companies could in turn sue to government for not enacting the law properly and all of the costs would still have to be paid by the taxpayers. The stupidity of this Notley government is astonishing. They are incompetent ideological morons. Full stop.
The NDP are so dead in the crucial Calgary battleground the Lord himself would have trouble resurrecting them. This is icing on the cake. Even St. Nenshi gets it.
Wait until mid-December when Baby Trudeau kiboshes the Kinder Morgan expansion two weeks before Notley introduces here XXL carbon tax.
There was no secret clause. The contract has existed since deregulation took place 16 years ago. Too bad the ndp didn’t have anyone who understood contract law or took the time to read the contract before they violated the conditions with their carbon tax.
This move speaks to the utter incompetence and down right stupidity of the ndp and notley herself.
These people are ideologically driven. They have no concept of how to govern.
Hey even Nenshi is pissed at them over this.
It’s time for the right to set aside their differences and unite to defeat the ndp. This move by them serves to show just how unfit they are. These are desperate times in Alberta.
“It’s time for the right to set aside their differences and unite to defeat the ndp.”
I agree. All actual conservatives who voted PC last election should dump the Progressives and vote Wild Rose next time.
My first impression was that Notley had hired too many lawyers but that would be pure sarcasm. But what if it’s a brilliant plan. Force the provincial utilities to sell assets because they can’t make a profit, have their cronies buy the assets and then increase the rates just before they lose power.
And then guess where the losing NDP politicians end up? Working for the new utility companies.
An interesting hypothesis but what this does is send the exact opposite message to business.
The message they and their shareholders derive from a move like this is: Alberta is not a safe place to do business. The carbon tax and its fallout will have a long negative effect on Alberta. Business will be reluctant to invest.
Oz: I’d like to think it would be that easy but I fear it wont. In my estimation the WR can’t win a majority. They have very little traction outside of rural route. You have to carry one of the 2 cities. The ndp has a lock on Edmonton. The PC’s still resonate (somewhat) in Calgary. The two parties are going to have to bury the hatchet and join up.
Bickering and rehashing what took place in 2014/2015 wont get you anything. Those in the PC’s and WR who would rather win an argument than form government had better come to some resolution. Quick.
Rachel needs to spend more quality time with her gal friend in Ontario where the costs of honoring (or not) contracts to energy producers are helping that province set world class records of indebtedness. She might learn that firm power producers only do so if they can virtually guarantee a return on their investments. It’s the real cost of green theocracy-driven ventures.
just git reverend Manning to hold some political rallies in the church…jeezus saves… jeezus saves…maybe jeezus can fix gorebull warming for manning whiles he’s at it
Oh my. How the heck did she get elected ?
Albertans used to be so practical?
But then we the ROC bought in to Trudeaupia 2.0.
It is but to weep…
Hopefully the Trumpquake will shake things up this side of the border…
Another useless post by the village idiot. Jason Kenney will clean up the mess…..and there will be a huge one after the NDP gets through wrecking the economy. First the oil and gas industry, then the power industry, the restaurant business and now the brewery industry.
A friend of mine had an oil company in Argentina and all was well until the government brought in game-changing legislation that effectively wiped out profitability. What was left of the company fled that jurisdiction. Left-wing governments ignore the risk/reward equation in favour of pursuing their ideology. The economy be damned. See any parallel here?
“Another useless post by the village idiot.”
meh. He is always 3 “who cares what you think” posts from being relevant.
NME666 is surrounded by his imagery friends (that love him) – don’t burst his bubble.
He probably lives with 6 cats that talk to him.
She got 40%of the 50 % of voters who voted. She was supported by 20%. If you get high voter turnout I don’t think she can win.
yes joey, I am the village idiot, BUTT my dear girl, that leaves me well about your lowly position in the village. Religion is an emotionally based concept that has NO place in governance of a country, or even a business, and your hero Manning was the driving force behind the events that culminated in the “installing” of these socialist fools that are ruining Alberta. Try understanding that, as understanding that may help prevent a repeat!
well now urnal, look who barking. Actually this comedy central for me much of the time. As to my 6 cats, the dog ate them, he hates cats.
Very well said, sir!
Extremely effective application of leftist rhetoric, viz., economic “climate change” engendered by governmental contract breaking.
I have 100% confidence in the NDP gov to manage the entire energy into complete oblivion. Notley’s agenda is a fantasy that will end up costing Albertan’s a fortune in energy costs and kill the goose the laid the golden egg. Well done all you folks that voted for these clowns, enjoy spending all your welfare money on your light bill instead of organic bananas.
Power companies should tell the court to go “F***” themselves. Courts are actually powerless against non-cooperation. Companies can move assets, fire entire workforces, close-up shop, and otherwise do all kinds of nasty things to the government if they really wanted to…
Welcome to Ala-ntario. We the ignored Tax-payers reached into our pockets for One & Quarter Billion Dollars to cover the Costs of The Liberal Government of Ontraio=Quebec=Canada. Buying the Voters of Mississauga & Oakville inorder to get their Majority Government.
P.S. The Corrupt Liberal Crony Crowd just shrugged off the Cost of their Stupid Ontario Pension Plan failure $ 70,000,000.00 as being “small Potatoes. After all it isn’t as it was their “Liberal Crony Crowd” money. It is only the Ontario Taxpayer Funds.
I think it would be very interesting if the power companies agreed with the government but indicated they believed that the entire contract should be void (rather than just one sub-section). Where would that leave the province in terms of energy supply vs. demand.
I think that our NDP leaders have really stepped in it. I can’t see how this is going to end well for any of us.
La Revenge des Incompetents
Way to go Rach, P-O the consumers…not long till the revolution.
Cdn gdp down again, only govt stending propping it up.
Ho-le-**ck
Utility bill admin charges now exceed usage charges 2x. Add carbon fees… Going off grid, cash only, only buy used private.
F the man, er Woman.
Not buying tobacco, booze retail.
alberta is going the same way as the rest of the country, down the financial chute to bankruptcy. Ontario is the most indebted non sovereign entity in the freaking world alberta is about to join them.