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The Current talks royalties
Oct. 26, 2007 | Edmonton Journal political columnist, Graham Thomson and Jim Gray, co-founder of Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd., one of Canada's larger natural gas producers talk about the politics behind Stelmach's royalty plan.

CAPP is Concerned
Oct. 25, 2007 | Pierre Alvarez, President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, reacts to the government's plan to increase oil and gas royalties (runs 1:58)

The premier's royalty plan.
Oct 25, 2007 | Premier Ed Stelmach announced his government's plan for oil and gas royalties in Alberta today.
» Premier's media conference: Part 1 (runs 10:21) | Part 2 (runs 12:19)
» John Archer on the details. (runs 7:32)
» Pembina Institute reacts. (runs 4:33)


Premier's address low on details
Oct. 24, 2007 | Ed Stelmach's TV address to the province.
» The full speech (runs 18:55)
» Excerpt on royalties (runs 2:55)

Edmontonians don't know who to believe
Oct. 24, 2007 | The CBC hit the streets of Edmonton to ask people who they're siding with in the debate over royalties. (runs 2:16)

Liberals say royalties should rise
Oct. 23, 2007 | Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft says the royalty review recommendations should be fully adopted by the government.


The Premier's plan
Oct. 22, 2007 | Premier Ed Stelmach says his government's has a decision on whether or not to change royalty rates in Alberta later this week...But he's not giving any hints as to what that decision is until his televised address on Wednesday.  (runs 2:18)


October 19, 2007
Wither the Liberals?

• Alberta's Official Opposition has been quiet since the Royalty Review panel released its findings several weeks ago.  Listen to CBC Radio's Legislative Reporter John Archer talking to Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft about the Liberals' strategy here. (runs 5:45)
  
  
• The Edmonton AM political panel looked at where Alberta's opposition parties stand on royalty rates. Listen to Ron Wilson's discussion with Graham Thomson and Jim Macdonald. (7:51)

• A study from the Parkland Institute says oil companies should be charged even more than what the royalty review panel is recommending. Diana Gibson is the Research Director with the Parkland Institute, and the author of this study.  Listen to an interview she did with Wild Rose Country here. (runs 7:51)
  
  
• Several hundred oil workers from all around the province held a demonstration at the Legislature today.  They want the government to leave the royalty regime the way it is now, because they believe more royalties will force oil companies to make cuts...and leave them out of work.  CBC reporter John Archer spoke to several oil workers at the rally.  Listen to his conversations with them here. (runs 5:49)

• Radioactive Host Peter Brown spoke to Bill Hunter, Chair of the Royalty Review panel, on the same day the royalty review was released.  Listen to that interview here. (runs 5:30)

• A 1997 study said Alberta's royalty system was fair and shouldn't be changed.  The author of that report was Pedro Van Meurs.  Now, this government advisor says things have changed.  Edmonton AM's Ron Wilson spoke to Van Meurs.  You can listen to that interview here. (runs 5:57)

• The Alberta government has not been collecting enough money from oil and gas companies.  That's the conclusion Alberta's auditor general came to in his annual report.  Fred Dunn says the provincial government has missed out on billions of dollars over the last few years...and the energy department knew about it.  John Archer reports. (runs 1:29)

• Listen to Alberta's Auditor General Fred Dunn talk about the royalty review during the presentation of his annual report here. (runs 14:26)

• Alberta's energy minister is lashing out at the province's auditor general.  Mel Knight is accusing auditor general Fred Dunn of personally attacking senior people within the energy department.  Dunn's annual report says the energy department may have failed to collect billions of dollars in royalties from oil and gas companies.  He points out a number of areas where the department could strengthen its accounting system.  But the man now in charge of the department is angry.  John Archer reports. (runs 1:12)

• The Alberta Liberals are accusing two cabinet ministers of lying to Albertans and they want premier Ed Stelmach to fire the pair.  The opposition says former energy minister Greg Melchin and current energy minister Mel Knight misled the public about royalties.  Melchin and Knight reassured the public that Albertans were getting their fair share.  But the auditor general's report suggests there was information within the energy ministry years ago that wasn't the case.  John Archer reports. (runs 1:19)

• As officials in Alberta's energy industry continue to warn about increasing royalties, those who work in the Grande Prairie area have deep concerns about a slowdown.  The royalty review panel recommends a 20 per cent increase in the amount of money taken in by government from oil and gas firms.  In Grande Prairie, much of the work being done is in natural gas extraction.  And as John Archer reports, businesspeople believe a large royalty hike will hurt them worse than others. (runs 1:15)

Watch TV Online

CBC royalties forum
October 30, 2007 | CBC Edmonton hosted a public forum on royalties with an expert panel.
Video: Watch the full forum - part 1 (runs 1:03:46)
Video: Forum - part 2 (runs 18:34)

Stelmach releases plan
October 25, 2007 | Premier Stelmach releases his long-awaited royalty plan.
Video: Full media conference (opens in new window).
Video: Melissa Fung reports

Will Alberta get a bigger share?
Oct. 24, 2007 | CBC legislature reporter Kim Trynacity reports on what to expect tonight from the Premier's TV address. (runs 5:53)

What can we expect tonight?
Oct. 24, 2007 | Tonight we learn what Premier Ed Stelmach thinks about raising energy royalties. Kim Trynacity reports. (runs 2:28)

Royalty rally ruckus
The heated debate over Alberta's oil royalities got a little hotter today--protest groups on both sides of the issue faced each other downtown at the steps of the legislature.Kim Trynacity reports. (runs 1:46)