Recent comments by Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's minister of Energy and Natural Resources, that the demand for oil and gas resources have peaked, are being disputed by Alberta's Energy and Minerals Minister and Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean.
Wilkinson told media in Ottawa last week that the federal Conservative opposition party's plan to build up the oil and gas sector during the fight against climate change is not feasible.
“Oil and gas will peak this decade. In fact, oil is probably peaking this year," Wilkinson was quoted as saying to several national media outlets before a Question Period in the House of Commons last week, "and the economic plan of the Conservative Party of Canada is simply to produce more in oil and gas into a market that inevitably, if we are going to fight climate change, will begin to decline."
Wilkinson's comments follow several similar statements from other federal elected officials, including Canada's Environment Minister Steven Gibeault who has long been an advocate for limiting fossil fuel consumption and finding more ways for Canadians to reduce emissions to combat climate change.
Jean says there are numerous reports, studies and forecasts from independent, professional organizations around the world that dispute the claims. He says the comments are little more than fear-mongering and political grandstanding.
"We are not peaked. That's ridiculous. You can quote me on that - that's ridiculous," he told Lakeland This Week when interviewed for the story, even offering a headline for the article: "You want to hear a quote? Wilkinson's been reading too many of Gibault's press releases. That's a good quote. It would be a good headline... It's all politics... I think that headline would be good too."
Do your own homework
And while he recognizes that politics are involved in the statements – and even in his immediate response, Jean says the documented facts, not political rhetoric, speak for themselves. Recognizing that it can be confusing and frustrating to hear differing views from provincial and federal politicians, he encourages area residents to do their own research, to find facts and not opinions. He says factual information about the continuing demand for oil and gas products is easily-found and readily available from independent, professional sources.
"I'm encouraging people to educate themselves – and not on Reddit – and also outside of what I am saying too, because if they look at the experts, the world experts, the people that are projecting these forecasts professionally, every single expert agrees that the oil and gas sector is going to be strong for years to come ... none of them are suggesting what Wilkinson is suggesting".
Jean, who grew up in northern Alberta and has been an elected representative of the region provincially and federally over his two-decade political career, says Albertans and Canadians benefit from the oil and gas resources in the region. He thinks the recent comments about the industry are part of the continuing disconnect and political game taking place in Parliament.
"I think it's just part of the soup they drink in Ottawa," he said, explaining that federal leaders shouldn't forget the importance of Canada's largest oil-producing province and the economic boost it provides for all Canadians.
"Where else do you dig mud, throw it in a washing machine and sell it for $100 a barrel? There's not a lot of places that can do that. I love being an Albertan. We own it," he said.
Shortly before Wilkinson made his recent comments, he announced funding of $9.14 million to support clean hydrogen development at several projects across the country, including one in Alberta, where $1 million was awarded to a Calgary-based company to study the safe transport and storage of hydrogen.
While Wilkinson's comments about oil and gas demands have made headlines in recent days, the federal Energy minister wrote a similar statement on his own Linkedin page more than a year ago.