Category Archives: Energy & Natural Resources

When Politicians Lie…er, Misspeak Themselves

Posted on January 4, 2015 by susanonthesoapbox

“How do you know when a politician is lying? His lips are moving.”—Political joke. Politicians don’t lie. They misspeak, they overstate, they understate. And the press distorts, takes out of context, twists, exaggerates or does something equally heinous to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

OPEC Sets Up the Rollercoaster, Albertans Take a Ride (Again)

Posted on December 14, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

“You come from capitalist nations. You know what the market does. For any commodity it goes up and down, up and down”—Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi* Contrary to the expectations of many analysts, OPEC (read Saudi Arabia) decided it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Jim Prentice’s First Week in Office–Straight out of the Corporate Playbook

Posted on September 21, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

“As of this moment, Alberta is under new management.” — Jim Prentice, 16th Premier of Alberta* Transition. There’s nothing more unsettling; no, strike that, nerve-wracking, for an organization than a change-out of senior leadership, particularly when the old leader is … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Education, Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Alberta’s Climate Change Strategy Goes Up in Smoke

Posted on July 13, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

Alberta’s Auditor General blew a gasket. He called the government’s performance on climate change strategy “troubling” and “disturbing”. Hey, he’s a mild mannered accountant; this is as in-your-face as he gets. Mr Saher kicked off the July 2014 audit report … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

A Gift from Chief Justice McLachlin: The Tsilhqot’in Decision on Aboriginal Rights*

Posted on June 29, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

On June 26, 2014, in a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin gave the First Nations (and the rest of Canada) a treasure map. It wasn’t a crumpled piece of paper covered with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Desmond Tutu and the “Animals in War” Memorial

Posted on June 15, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

Everywhere you turn in London there’s a statue or monument commemorating an epic battle or a long dead sovereign. While interesting, none is as compelling as the Animals in War memorial.  It reduced me to tears. The Animals in War … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Obama Punts Keystone XL (Again) — Harper Learns a Lesson in Humility (Maybe)

Posted on April 27, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

“If you were a betting man (or woman) what odds would you place on President Obama approving the Keystone XL pipeline before the end of his term and why?” Ms Soapbox posed the question to a panel* discussing the future … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

TransAlta and the Court of Public Opinion: A $66 million fine or multimillions in profits?

Posted on March 16, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

Last month TransAlta kicked a damaging allegation into the court of public opinion:  did it manipulate the electricity market by improperly shutting down six power plants during peak demand hours in order to jack up power prices and make millions … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Breakfast with Hillary Clinton

Posted on March 9, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Calgary last week to give the keynote address at a breakfast meeting of 2500 Calgarians who paid about $500 to hear her speak.  Luckily my friend, the Zen Banker, invited me to attend as her … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics, Politics and Government, Rich and/or Famous, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

The Edelman Trust Barometer: Who do you trust?

Posted on March 2, 2014 by susanonthesoapbox

The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer is here and it’s good news—unless you work in government or business in which case you’re facing what Edelman delicately calls “a significant trust deficit”. Edelman is a global public relations company that surveys trust … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments