FRESH ENERGY
Oilpatch guessing at who Notley will pick for Alberta’s pivotal portfolio.
• Alberta Premierdesignate Rachel Notley isn’t tipping her hand about who she will appoint to the key energy portfolio on Sunday, even amid warnings that hard-hit oil and gas companies may move future investments out of Alberta and into Saskatchewan, North Dakota or Texas.
Observers say, however, those threats mean Alberta’s new energy minister will require a mix of oil and gas expertise and political shrewdness born of experience to survive in the position, and that combination of necessary skills narrows the field of potential candidates. Among those most mentioned with those credentials: Premierdesignate herself and former NDP leader and just-named house leader Brian Mason.
The NDP caucus grew from four to 54 members in its dominant win over the longruling Progressive Conservatives on May 5. Even though a handful of the new members — such as Shannon Phillips in Lethbridge or Calgary MLAs Karen McPherson and Anam Kazim — have some experience with the province’s dominant industry, political observers said Thursday they don’t expect a fresh face as energy minister.
Mount Royal University political science professor Keith Brownsey said it’s critical the NDP’s energy minister have knowledge of the industry, but also needs to be “an experienced political operator” to “navigate some of the more difficult political questions.”
Brownsey, who studies the politics of oil and gas in Alberta, said it will be critical for the incoming minister to have the political experience necessary to handle what is expected to be a concerted political pushback from the industry during the promised review of oil and gas royalties.
“The logical choice for minister would be Brian Mason, at this point,” Brownsey said, noting the longtime Edmonton MLA and former party leader has been the NDP’s energy critic for years.
Other political observers, including former NDP leader Ray Martin, believe Notley herself could take on the role of energy minister, given she has been personally calling oil and gas CEOs since the election.
“That certainly would not surprise me,” Martin, now a trustee with the Edmonton Public Schools, said in an interview. “She may want to be hands-on on that.”
Joseph Doucet, dean of the University of Alberta’s business school, agreed it was possible Notley would handle the file herself as a signal that her government viewed energy as an important ministry. He noted that soon-to-be-former Premier Jim Prentice served as Aboriginal Relations Minister for that reason.
Notley also said during a Wednesday news conference she would be part of her smaller-than-expected 12-person cabinet and that a review of the province’s oil and gas royalty structure was imminent.
Alberta Fe d e rat io n of Labour president Gil McGowan, who had been expected to run for the NDP leadership himself, downplays the need to have a minister knowledgeable about the industry. “The energy department is full of experts and the Alberta government has the capacity to hire more experts as needed,” McGowan said.
The industry, for its part, isn’ t necessarily counting on an energy minister with oil and gas experience. Petroleum Services Association of Canada president Mark Salkeld said in an interview that in his five years leading the oilfield industry group that he has seen five different energy ministers, only one of whom had direct industry experience out of government.
He added that communication from the new government has been re-assuring so far. “Premier-designate Rachel Notley has made indications that she’s going to meet with industry, work with industry, so we’re hearing all the right things,” he said.
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers president Tim McMillan announced May 14 the industry group would form a special task force to communicate with the incoming government.