And just like that, with the passing of Bill 14 by Alberta’s United Conservative Party provincial government, country singer Corb Lund’s anti-coal mining petition has been cancelled retroactively.
Lund’s team will now have to reapply under much more stringent rules.
The sixth-generation rural Albertan said he was left in disbelief by the decision, which seems to be at odds with Premier Danielle Smith’s earlier comments about the initiative he has taken to allow Albertans their say.
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The UCP government concluded the fall session of the legislature with debate wrapping up Wednesday night after legislators passed 14 bills, including the one that left a lump of coal in the stocking of those who supported the anti-coal mining petition.
WHY IT MATTERS: Corb Lund’s anti-coal petition is one of many citizen-backed petitions questioning the UCP Alberta provincial government, including many MLA recalls.
“I support citizen-initiated referenda. I think it’s really important that people have their say. So the rules are out there, and I’ll watch with great interest,” said Smith.
Responded Lund: “I guess the rules weren’t out there. I talked with Elections Alberta this morning and we have to apply under new rules. They have somehow retroactively changed the rules on an already approved petition.”
The Alberta government had amended Bill 14 — the Justice Statutes Amendment — earlier in the week, which had included citizen referendum rules in which third reading was given.
The clock has now been reset for Lund’s petition, which calls for a ban on coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
However, the three-time gold record selling country artist’s team is not being deterred by the setback.
“We are going to go forward to get the petition,” he said.
“The petition is very clear that we need legislation, not just smoke on talk shows changing it every five minutes, flipping the coal policy back and forth, back and forth. We need hard, clear legislation of no new coal mining anywhere in the eastern slopes of the Rockies of any form.
“We don’t care if it’s underground mining, strip mining, service mining or mountain-top removal mining. … Albertans have said over and over we don’t want any coal mines at the headwaters of our rivers. The government works for us, not the coal companies. I don’t understand their motivation here.”
Lund said he is but one person behind the push for the coal mining ban petition, and added he has heard from plenty of agricultural producers whose views align with his own.
Lund, who grew up on farms and ranches near Taber, Alta., said opposition to proposed coal mining has been a six-year journey.
“I always tell people, it’s not whack-job lefties that got me into this. It was cattle producers. It’s been a very handy dismissal to hang on us, and it’s not true. There are people all over the political spectrum who don’t want coal mines in the headwaters,” said Lund.
“There’s hunters, fishers, ranchers, irrigated farmers, as well as people in the cities, rural people and First Nations. Those of us on this side of it are just regular working Albertans. There is no ulterior motive other than to keep the water clean for ag, for ourselves, for the drinking water and for the air quality.”
