Farmers don’t want to be left holding the bag when wells abandoned

Daryl Bennett is director of the Action Surface Rights Association and a farmer with experience representing land owners in Alberta for the past 10 years. His group will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada to oppose the legal ruling in the Redwater case, which frees creditors from covering the cost of old wells when a producer fails.

Video Link for BNN Interview


 

Fight over abandoned oil wells heads to the Supreme Court

TV Interview

Redford office broke law in data leak

11 Aug 2016

Lethbridge Herald

THE CANADIAN PRESS — EDMONTON

Alberta’s privacy commissioner says the office of former premier Alison Redford broke the law by using and leaking personal information about cabinet officials.

In August 2014, the cellphone bill of then deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, as well as three other government officials, was leaked to the Edmonton Sun.

It showed Lukaszuk rang up more than $20,000 in international data roaming charges while on a personal trip to Poland and Israel in October 2012.

At the time, Lukaszuk was vying to become leader of the Progressive Conservative party.

Privacy commissioner Jill Clayton says the documents were disclosed in an uncontrolled manner and contravened the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.

Clayton says determining who in Redford’s executive council leaked the information was outside the scope of her investigation.

“While it is arguable that the release of information about cellphone charges may have been in the public interest, it was leaked in an uncontrolled manner — nobody’s privacy interests were considered,” Clayton said in a news release Wednesday.

“Government needs to carefully consider its security arrangements for paper records and electronic systems to reduce the risk of another leak of what could possibly be more sensitive information.”

Lukaszuk said he feels vindicated and at least it’s known where the leak came from.

“This speaks to the fact what will happen if you stand up to the premier’s office, and how they will try to use any information they can against you at the most inopportune time knowing that I couldn’t speak to any of it and I still can’t because documents are court-sealed,” Lukaszuk told Edmonton radio station CHED.

At the time the bill was leaked, Lukaszuk said a cabinet minister called him in distress. He said the minister told him violence was involved and police were on the way, so he stayed on the line with the person until officers came.


Scathing report on Redford’s expenses

The National | Aug 7, 2014 | 3:05

Alberta’s auditor general says the former premier used public resources inappropriately, racking up charges totaling $660,000 over 17 months

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2484374015/

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AltaLink investigates dead ducks

CBC News: Calgary at 6:00 | Jan 10, 2014 | 2:01

An Alberta power company said it is taking steps to avoid more bird deaths around its power lines, but says some deaths are inevitable.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Calgary/ID/2429434336/

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Regulation in Action Hydraulic Fracturing

Regulation in Action Hydraulic Fracturing