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Allan inquiry's report triggers war of words with Alberta's energy war room

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Alberta’s energy war room has engaged in a war of words with the head of an inquiry into the foreign funding of anti-energy campaigns.

In the inquiry’s report released Thursday, commissioner Steve Allan had strong words for the war room, officially named the Canadian Energy Centre (CEC), even though both entities were created by Premier Jason Kenney’s government out of a UCP campaign promise to “fight back” for the province’s energy industry.

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In his inquiry report, Allan noted there were several missteps from the outset of the war room’s work.

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“It may well be that the reputation of this entity has been damaged beyond repair,” said Allan, although he added that there may be a need for “a vehicle such as this,” if it is properly governed and accountable.

The CEC has been a target for the Opposition NDP and critics after a series of blunders, beginning with its first logo, which appeared nearly identical to that of an American software company. In March, the war room launched a campaign against an animated children’s movie about Bigfoot, claiming it unfairly demonized the energy sector.

Allan’s report also said the CEC’s governance and credibility is “seriously compromised” by having three provincial cabinet ministers as its board of directors, and it needed more independence, openness, transparency and accountability.

“In the course of my interviews over the past 18 months, the Canadian Energy Centre has come under almost universal criticism,” he wrote.

The centre’s CEO Tom Olsen responded with a news release Thursday, saying it applauds the report and doesn’t shy away from constructive criticism.

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“We are, however, disappointed the commission did not contact us to gain better insight into the work of the CEC to build wide-ranging support through increasingly effective advocacy campaigns directed at target audiences in the rest of Canada, the U.S. and across the globe,” Olsen said.

“The CEC has long overcome its growing pains, matured and hit its stride with an extensive body of research, editorial content and advocacy work,” he said, pointing out that it had amassed 37,000 weekly newsletter subscribers.

Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage.
Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage. Photo by Azin Ghaffari /Postmedia, file

At a Thursday news conference on the inquiry’s findings, Energy Minister Sonya Savage echoed Olsen in defending the CEC.

“It’s long overcome some of its initial growing pains,” said Savage, noting its advertising campaign promoting Canadian energy in the U.S. has reached more than 12 million people.

Savage also countered questions about the openness of the war room, saying financial reports are reviewed by the auditor general. “There’s no lack of transparency there,” Savage said.

In a statement Friday, Savage said the government has no intention of making significant changes at the CEC, and that the auditor general has never expressed concerns about its governance structure, nor has he found issues or concerns over spending.

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Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said Friday Allan’s critique was unusual, and while she agrees it’s problematic to have a board made up of three cabinet ministers, the bigger problem is the CEC’s damaged reputation.

“(Allan’s is) a pretty strong statement under the circumstances. If he’d come right out and said, ‘This is a fiasco and it needs to be scrapped,’ that would have been more dramatic, but he’s all but saying that here,” Williams said.

Williams said the Alberta government should be focusing on showing how it’s addressing the objections of environmentalists rather than vilifying critics with legitimate concerns.

“Neither this government, nor the CEC, have chosen to take that route,” said Williams.

lijohnson@postmedia.com

twitter.com/reportrix

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