AER board member brazenly moonlights with $156,000 job in premier's office
Fake "arms-length" Alberta Energy Regulator exposed in structurally corrupt cross-contamination with Danielle Smith's scandal-ridden premier's office
At an otherwise un-notable meeting of the standing committee on resource stewardship March 18, opposition MLA Nagwan Al-Guneid dropped a time-bomb that would blow wide-open the Smith government’s phoney claim that the Alberta Energy Regulator is an independent agency.
“Last time I checked, the Premier appointed Mr. Yager to the AER board, which means he and the AER must be at arm’s-length from the government. How is Mr. Yager receiving $156,000 salary from the government while being an AER board member?” asked Al-Guneid.
“Why is an AER board member holding closed-door consultations on how to make taxpayers pay for delinquent assets of bankrupt oil and gas companies in rural Alberta? Through the chair, why does Mr. Yager introduce himself as a special adviser to the Premier and Executive Council in public events and consultations while being a board member on the AER?”
The time-bomb exploded publicly April 14 when High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass responded to Northback CEO Mike Young’s assertion that his scheme to rip coal from Grassy Mountain would be subject to rigorous regulatory review.
“Not only is David Yager on the AER board, he is on the payroll as a special adviser to the premier. Don’t tell me he’s at arm’s length from the Alberta government,” Snodgrass said during the public meeting of High River Council.
The Alberta Energy “Regulator” is currently pretending to evaluate an application by Australian coal grubber Northback Holdings to drill yet more exploratory holes into Grassy Mountain. Northback’s Grassy Mountain project was definitively rejected in 2021 by a joint federal-provincial panel. Despite that, the AER agreed under order of Energy Minister Brian Jean to pretend its own decision didn’t happen and allowed Northback a do-over.
We knew the AER was a “captured” regulator. We just didn’t know how deep that rabbit hole went.
#FireTheAER
#FireTheLyingConnivingUCP
Blatant conflict of interest! Possibly a breach of ethics, which should be referred to Alberta‘s Ethics Commissioner not that I expect any exercise of independence there either!