Albertans believe in the polluter-pay principle. Profitable companies should not be gifted taxpayer money to clean up their wells they're already legally responsible for.
Through her recently announced RStar program, Danielle Smith plans to give profitable corporations $20 billion to clean up their own inactive wells. That is $20 billion in public funds that can help Albertans deal with inflation or tackle the health crisis.
Smith's royalty credit giveaway has faced widespread criticism from banks and rural municipalities. A Scotiabank report said the plan "goes against the core capitalist principle that private companies should take full responsibility for the liabilities they willingly accept." The President of Rural Municipalities of Alberta said RStar is "how a fox would design a henhouse."
We must clean up inactive oil wells, but Danielle Smith's $20-billion tax credit isn't the answer. We need to make sure polluters clean up their own mess.
We want to hear from you on your concerns about this program and on your ideas to move forward with building a better future for all Albertans.
Join Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley and Rural Economic Development, Agriculture & Forestry Critic Heather Sweet on March 23rd to discuss RStar and liability clean-up.