Thread by @SteveRickettsSP

A thread on something that’s been bothering me for a while…

bear with me. :)

#ableg

1/ Vivian Krause (@FairQuestions) has been getting a lot of attention for her research into foreign funding against AB oil sands. She’s made some pretty bold allegations about foreign money flooding into Canada and aimed at landlocking AB oil.

2/ Is there something to Krause’s work? Sure, just as with most claims, but she presents a very one-sided version of the story. And it’s hardly a surprise that entities spend money to influence popular opinion and govt decisions on an issue… it happens all the time.

3/ However, it takes a certain degree of naivety and partisanship to think that foreign funding is only *against* the oil sands and pipelines.

Krause doesn't look into that.

4/ You'd think it would be important to verify Vivian's allegations. Markham Hislop (@politicalham) has done a deep dive into Krause’s work and has come up with a different story, including that Krause is wildly exaggerating the amount of foreign funding.

energi.media/deep-dives/deb…

4/ Markham’s work is worth a read. Is it totally accurate and complete? Likely not. But where are the other journalists and experts? Why are they not also checking Krause’s conclusions?

5/ We know why Jason Kenney, conservative politicians, and right-leaning journalists are not questioning Krause’s work, and why she’s become the darling of the speaking tour across AB.

Her work supports Kenney's mantra that Everyone Is Conspiring Against AB

6/ Kenney, being the master campaigner that he is, knows that he needs a convenient scapegoat, someone to blame our ills on, and to serve as a distraction from the real cause. And to gain support for his policies.

7/ So let’s blame those dastardly Quebeckers who are solely dependent on AB’s huge contributions to their equalization payments [sic], Trudeau and the federal Liberals doing their best to prevent pipelines being built [sic].

8/ Krause’s work fits neatly into that narrative. Trump has his illegal immigration across the Mexican border; Kenney has his foreign-funded entities. Albertans are buying it, because it feels so much better to blame everyone else for our woes rather than make tough decisions.

9/ Plus, it provides a ready-made excuse when the AB economy does not rebound as strongly as Kenney has promised—which is the likely result—as he’ll be able to blame others, not his questionable policies.

10/ Frustrating. So what can we do? Ask questions, challenge assertions. Let’s not sit idly by while Kenney, bolstered by Krause’s work, continues to spread lies and distortions about AB oil, the AB economy, the carbon tax, the federal govt.

11/ Let’s also talk about the need to reduce GHG emissions, the need to plan for the inevitable decline in world demand for oil, including AB oil, and to develop our renewable resources. It’s too important to let go.

/fin #ableg