Alberta, Saskatchewan Premiers Won’t Implement Ottawa’s Sustainable Jobs Act

(Left) United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith makes her victory speech in Calgary, Alta., on May 29, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh); (Right) Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe speaks during the leaders' debate at the Provincial Archives in Regina on Oct. 14, 2020. The Canadian Press/Michael Bell

The Prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are united in their opposition to Ottawa’s sustainable jobs act and net-zero plan.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told reporters on June 14 that his province will not be implementing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ‘Just Transition’ legislation, as Bill C-50 has been called, and will also not be taking part in any discussions.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, whose United Conservative Party was recently re-elected, indicated she was willing to have discussions but said in a June 15 statement that “Alberta will not recognize, cooperate with or enforce any attempt to phase out our province’s oil and gas industry or its workforce. This is non-negotiable.”

Saskatchewan and Alberta have similar reasons for objecting to Bill C-50, also called the Canada Sustainable Jobs Act, namely its effect on jobs—specifically job loss—and concerns that it represents a cap on the production of natural resources in those provinces.

The act is part of climate change efforts that Ottawa says will make Canada more “green” and transition workers to jobs that are compatible with a “net-zero emissions economy.”

If passed, the legislation will establish a plan aimed at creating “sustainable” green-energy jobs for oil and gas workers to transition into across the country, as the federal government looks to move Canada toward national net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe at a press conference before the throne speech at the legislative building in Regina on Oct. 27, 2021. The Canadian Press/Michael Bell

‘Flawed Policy Development’

“We see regional roundtables that are being set up to discuss Just Transition. Well, we don’t want to discuss this transition because we’re not implementing it in Saskatchewan,” said Moe. “We should not be marching down that same policy path of sacrificing our energy affordability and our energy reliability for an ideological target of reducing emissions.”

According to Moe, the federal government is on a path of “flawed policy development“ that he says ”has been on full display in the European Union over the last 10 or 15 years“ which has resulted in the EU sacrificing their energy security, ”relying on Russia for a third of their natural gas, coal, and oil.”

Moe said Saskatchewan and Alberta are in agreement that the oil emissions cap, which he called “the oil production cap,” that the federal government has proposed “is capping some of the most sustainable oil you can find on Earth.”

The Saskatchewan premier said his province has a target to produce more oil by the year 2030.

Smith expressed similar sentiments. In her statement, she said that the federal government needs to recognize that, “due to emissions reduction technologies, oil and gas sector jobs are also sustainable jobs and will continue to be so for many decades and beyond.”

The Alberta premier said it appears the primary purpose of Ottawa’s proposed “Sustainable Jobs Act” is to form an advisory council to provide recommendations to the federal government on how to support Canadian workers in the transition to a “net-zero economy.” She said Ottawa needs to be reminded that Alberta has its own Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan.

She said the plan is working toward achieving “a carbon-neutral energy economy by 2050, primarily through investment in emissions reduction technologies and the increased export of Alberta LNG to replace higher-emitting fuels internationally.”

She had previously said Alberta cannot meet the federal government’s deadline of 2030.

United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith speaks at a campaign launch rally in Calgary, Alta., on April 29, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

‘Constitutional Rights’

In her June 15 statement, Smith said development of the province’s natural resources and regulation of its energy sector workforce are “constitutional rights and the responsibility of Alberta.”

“To be clear, if this new advisory council provides the federal government with recommendations that are inconsistent with Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan or otherwise interferes with our province’s constitutional jurisdiction over the development of our natural resources and regulation of our energy workforce, Alberta will not recognize the legitimacy of those recommendations in any manner,” she said.

While Smith has indicated she will discuss the legislation with the federal government at a meeting scheduled for June 19 in Calgary, between Smith and federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, she also made her position clear in her May 29 re-election victory speech.

“Justin Trudeau is planning on bringing forward new restrictions on electricity generation from natural gas that will not only massively increase your power bills, but will also endanger the integrity and reliability of our entire power grid, which we rely on during our cold and dark Alberta winters,” she said.

Smith added that Trudeau is already ready to introduce a “de facto production cap on our oil and gas sector that if implemented, will result in tens of thousands of jobs lost.”

“Let me be clear, this is not a road we can afford to go down. If he persists, he will be hurting Canadians from coast to coast and he will strain the patience and goodwill of Albertans in an unprecedented fashion,” said Smith.

“And as premier, I cannot under any circumstances allow these contemplated federal policies to be inflicted upon Albertans. I simply can’t and I won’t.”

Peter Wilson contributed to this report.