{"id":4648,"date":"2020-04-15T05:03:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T11:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/?p=4648"},"modified":"2020-04-14T17:13:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T23:13:11","slug":"travis-toews-lets-himself-lend-1-25b-to-oil-refinery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/15\/travis-toews-lets-himself-lend-1-25b-to-oil-refinery\/","title":{"rendered":"Travis Toews lets himself lend $1.25B to oil refinery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As you know, the Alberta government promised to spend $1.5 billion on shares in TC Energy, the company that\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/03\/31\/10-things-to-know-about-albertas-keystone-xl-announcement\/\">building the Keystone XL pipeline<\/a>, even though the company made $32 million off the corporate tax cut last year and whose 2019 profits were $4 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But did you know that\u2019s not the only oil and gas project that the UCP government plans to spend over a billion dollars on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, <strong>Sonya Savage<\/strong>, minister of energy, and <strong>Travis Toews<\/strong>, president of the Alberta Treasury Board and the minister of finance, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alberta.ca\/release.cfm?xID=70062CE65EC24-B101-F44C-AADDD48F52B80EFE\">recommended to the lieutenant governor<\/a> that Toews be authorized to do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Make advances to or purchase securities of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission<\/li><li>Raise money for these advances or securities purchases through issuing and selling<ul><li>Notes<\/li><li>Bonds<\/li><li>Debentures<\/li><li>Interest-bearing treasury bills<\/li><li>Non-interest-bearing treasury bills<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Approves the terms and conditions of any securities he issues<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The lieutenant government <a href=\"http:\/\/qp.alberta.ca\/documents\/Orders\/Orders_in_Council\/2020\/2020_115.html.\">approved the recommendation.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This order was specifically related to the financing of the <strong>North West Redwater Sturgeon Refinery<\/strong> and limits Toews\u2019 financing the refinery to a maximum of <strong>$1.25 billion<\/strong> (even if indirectly through the commission).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The<strong> <\/strong>refinery is located about 45 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, in Sturgeon County, and is operated by <strong>North West Redwater Partnership<\/strong>, a 50\/50 partnership between <strong>North West Refining<\/strong> and <strong>Canadian Natural Upgrading<\/strong>, a subsidiary of <strong>Canadian Natural Resources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the refinery should be fully operational later this year after additional work and testing is complete on their gasifier, the facility has been processing synthetic crude oil into diesel since November 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once fully operational, the refinery will process bitumen feedstock, <a href=\"https:\/\/apmc.alberta.ca\/EV\/Pages\/default.aspx\">75% of which will come come from<\/a> the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ian MacGregor<\/strong>, CEO and chair of North West Refining, is a member of the North West Redwater Partnership executive leadership committee, as well as its management committee. He has been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nwrefining.com\/our-team\/\">involved in most aspects of the Sturgeon refinery\u2019s<\/a> design, corporate structure, financing, and construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another area that MacGregor has been involved in is provincial politics, donating thousands of dollars to political parties over the last several years. He donated $1000 to the <strong>Calgary-Bow PC constituency association<\/strong> in 2007, $500 to the <strong>PC Party<\/strong> in 2008, as well as $2000 to <strong>Leah Lawrence<\/strong>\u2019s PC campaign that same year. In 2012, he donated $1000 to <strong>Alana DeLong<\/strong>\u2019s PC campaign and $500 to <strong>Cecilia Low<\/strong>\u2019s PC campaign. He contributed $1000 to <strong>Byron Nelson<\/strong>\u2019s PC campaign in 2015, and then later that year, donated $5,000 to the <strong>Alberta NDP<\/strong> during the provincial byelection. He also donated $450 to the NDP in 2018. Last year, he donated $5000, split between the <strong>Alberta Party<\/strong>, NDP, and the <strong>UCP<\/strong>, including a $1000 campaign contribution to the Alberta Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s <strong>over $16,000 to 4 major parties<\/strong> since 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canadian Natural Resources is also no stranger to political donations, <strong>donating nearly $125,000<\/strong> to political parties, candidates, and constituency associations between 2004 and 2015. Parties included the PC Party, <strong>Wildrose<\/strong>, and the <strong>Alberta Liberals<\/strong>. Candidates have included such names as <strong>Derek Fildebrandt<\/strong> and <strong>Jeff Callaway<\/strong>. Constituency associations included <strong>Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater<\/strong>, where the refinery is located, various Calgary ridings, and <strong>Grande Prairie-Wapiti<\/strong>, the home riding of Travis Toews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, this government has reduced corporate income tax at a cost of $4.7 billion, invested <a href=\"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/03\/31\/10-things-to-know-about-albertas-keystone-xl-announcement\/\">$1.5 billion in Keystone XL<\/a> (not including the $6 billion loan guarantee), and $1.25 billion in a refinery that is nearly complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/03\/06\/alberta-is-not-maintaining-healthcare-spending\/\">cutting healthcare<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/13\/alberta-is-not-maintaining-education-spending\/\">underfunding K\u201312 by $2.5 billion<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/14\/alberta-pledges-2-99-per-meal-for-food-banks\/\">donating only $5 million to food banks<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that Keystone XL isn\u2019t the only oil and gas project that the UCP government plans to spend over $1 billion on?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[106],"tags":[85,102,105,86,104,103],"class_list":["post-4648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-alberta","tag-energy","tag-oil-gas","tag-politics","tag-sonya-savage","tag-travis-toews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1920%2C1483&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4NkW7-1cY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4810,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/23\/ab-finance-minister-approves-lending-ab-government-25-billion\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":0},"title":"AB finance minister  approves lending AB government $25 billion","author":"Kim Siever","date":"23 April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Alberta minister of finance was given the okay to lend the provincial government $25 billion, the largest approval during his term.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/money-2180330_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/money-2180330_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/money-2180330_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/money-2180330_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/money-2180330_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4388,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/03\/31\/10-things-to-know-about-albertas-keystone-xl-announcement\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":1},"title":"10 things to know about Alberta\u2019s Keystone XL announcement","author":"Kim Siever","date":"31 March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"You\u2019ve probably seen the announcement by this point that the Alberta government is spending $1.5 billion on the Keystone XL pipeline. Here are 10 things you should realize about it. 1. The $1.5 billion the Alberta government is using to buy shares in the company is only part of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/oil-pump-jack-1407715_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4237,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/03\/06\/alberta-is-not-maintaining-healthcare-spending\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":2},"title":"Alberta is not maintaining healthcare spending","author":"Kim Siever","date":"6 March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The health minister is trying to suggest that Alberta is maintaining spending, assuaging fears that they\u2019re making spending cuts to healthcare.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/doctor-1149149_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/doctor-1149149_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/doctor-1149149_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/doctor-1149149_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/02\/doctor-1149149_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4592,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/13\/alberta-is-not-maintaining-education-spending\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":3},"title":"Alberta is not maintaining education spending","author":"Kim Siever","date":"13 April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The education minister is trying to suggest that Alberta is maintaining spending, assuaging fears that they\u2019re making spending cuts to education.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/child-830988_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/child-830988_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/child-830988_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/child-830988_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/child-830988_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4003,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2019\/11\/30\/tax-cuts-are-job-cuts-a-running-total\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":4},"title":"Tax cuts are job cuts: a running total","author":"Kim Siever","date":"30 November 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In this article, I will keep a running total of the number of public sector job losses in Alberta.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/knife-316655_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/knife-316655_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/knife-316655_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/knife-316655_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/knife-316655_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4562,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2020\/04\/11\/6-myths-the-ucp-keeps-spreading-about-doctors\/","url_meta":{"origin":4648,"position":5},"title":"6 myths the UCP keeps spreading about doctors","author":"Kim Siever","date":"11 April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently encountered a thread on Twitter outlining several myths that the Alberta health minister keeps perpetuating as he continues fighting against doctors.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/anesthesia-4677401_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/anesthesia-4677401_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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